The solution to Bryan Reynolds' problems may be right around the corner for Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates are currently one of the worst teams in all of baseball, and watching them struggle is extremely frustrating. Arguably the most agitating part has been Bryan Reynolds' slow start to the season.

It is not uncommon to see Reynolds struggling to open up the season, but what we are seeing right now is the worst he's ever been. He has generated an OPS of .590 with a wRC+ of 62 and an fWAR of -0.8. This is very uncharacteristic of him, and these struggles represent one of the routes to the Pirates' early-season slump.

It's hard to pinpoint the cause of this cold spell, especially since nothing has really changed in his game. His exit velocity is still above average (90.9 mph), as well as barrel rate (12%), and his xSLG is up to .488. His actual SLG .323, marking him an extremely unlucky hitter this year.

One issue has been his high whiff rate of 29.2% and strikeout rate of 28.3%. An inability to put the ball in play consistently is negatively impacting him, but when the ball has been in play, it has hurt the Pirates. Reynolds has already grounded into six double plays, which is one away from his total from 2024.

This has not been a very pleasant period for the Pirates' two-hole hitter. Fortunately, this trend may be ending soon, as Reynolds has annually been excellent in the month of June.

Bryan Reynolds' slump could end and save the Pirates, as his trend of excellent Junes is approaching.

In his career, Reynolds caries a slashline of .340/.409/.572 in June. He also adds 23 home runs, 24 doubles, and five triples. Reynolds has also driven in 72 runs and brings a 142 tOPS+. Those numbers are excellent, and have helped the Pirates hang around contention these last few years before the team has fallen off around late July and August.

In fact, last June while the Pirates were still relevant and a possible NL Wild Card contender, Reynolds batted .330 with six home runs and 16 RBI. He also added a 25-game hit streak, along with a .992 OPS and a wRC+ of 171.

Aside from Oneil Cruz, the Pirates' overall outfield has been an unexpected anchor. Along with Reynolds, Tommy Pham, Matt Gorski, and Alexander Canario have been below average as well. The production needs to improve out there, and it starts with Reynolds.

Reynolds has historically been excellent in June, and for the Pirates get remotely close to .500, he needs to make a surge soon. This team relies heavily on what Reynolds does at the plate, and with the team 14 games back of .500, they need all the help that they can get.