Bryan Reynolds is forcing MLB to notice what Pirates fans already knew

Bryan Reynolds’ All-Star case shouldn't be complicated. It shouldn't require a popularity campaign, a loud personality or a major-market spotlight. It should simply require looking at what he has done. And what Reynolds has done for the Pittsburgh Pirates this season, especially in June, is All-Star caliber.

Reynolds has built a 34-game on-base streak, the longest single-season streak by a Pirates player since Brian Giles reached base in 35 straight games in 2001. He also carried a 17-game hitting streak through most of June before it ended Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds. Even then, Reynolds still walked twice in a Pirates win, keeping the on-base streak alive and reinforcing the point: even when he's not collecting hits, he's still finding ways to impact games.

That has been the defining feature of his season. Reynolds is no longer just the steady switch-hitter in the middle of a thin Pirates lineup, forced to carry an offense with little protection around him. This year, with Brandon Lowe hitting in front of him and more legitimate threats throughout the order, Reynolds has been able to settle into the three-hole and become one of the most complete hitters in baseball. With a .947 OPS for the month, he has now posted an OPS over .900 in June in five of his seven eligible Major League seasons.

Maybe Don Kelly was onto something when he joked the Pirates should change the clubhouse calendar to June every month.

Bryan Reynolds cannot get robbed of All-Star bid after monster June surge

Reynolds’ value also goes beyond a singular month. His .874 OPS on the season belongs in the All-Star conversation by itself. So does his 2.6 WAR, which leads all MLB left fielders. Production should matter more than market size, more than fan-vote visibility and more than whether a player sells himself loudly enough to break through nationally.

Reynolds doesn't have the loudest brand. He isn't the most animated player in the league. He plays in Pittsburgh, which means his best stretches — even the historic ones — can be easier for national audiences to ignore. But that can't be the standard for an All-Star selection.

The standard should be performance, and Reynolds has delivered it from both sides of the plate. He has hit for average, gotten on base at an elite rate, shown more patience than ever and anchored one of baseball’s hottest offenses.

Reynolds said it himself: he deserves it. And he's right.

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