Bryan Reynolds selected to All-Star team
It has been a difficult season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have been struggling in the National League Central Division. They sit at the very bottom of the standings in their division and are already starting to look ahead to the future. However, fans of the Pirates did get some good news on Sunday afternoon.
After not finishing in the top 20 in fan voting, outfielder Bryan Reynolds was selected as a National League All-Star reserve player through Major League Baseball player voting. It is the first time in his career that he will be participating in the midsummer classic.
“I hoped it would happen. One of my goals this year, so it’s really exciting,” Reynolds said when he had heard the news, via Triblive.com. “I had flights booked home, but you can always cancel those. So those are canceled now. I was just going to sit on my couch. I’m pretty sure I’ll take this 10 times out of 10 over that one. So, yeah, flight’s canceled.”
Despite Pittsburgh’s woes, the 26-year-old is having a fantastic season, batting .306/.392/.533 with 15 home runs and 46 RBIs through the first 80 games of the campaign. He’s had seven home runs and 22 RBIs in June alone to help secure his spot in the All-Star game.
Reynolds’ heroics haven’t gone unnoticed within his own team either, as his manager Derek Shelton was full of praise for his All-Star outfielder.
“I think we’ve talked about all along that Reynolds can hit,” Shelton said on Sunday. “He can really hit. He’s hit at every level. Last year was the first time, I think, that he got into a little bit of a hole and couldn’t get out of it. This is the guy that we expected. This guy’s one of the elite hitters in the league. To be able to do it from both sides of the plate, it’s extremely impressive.”
Reynolds will not be the only Pirate at the All-Star game, as second baseman Adam Frazier was voted in as a starter by the fans. Frazer received 47% of the fan vote to book his spot at Coors Field.
“He’s one of my good buddies on the team,” Reynolds said, “so it’s going to be fun to experience that with him.”
This will mark the first time the Pirates have sent two position players to the All-Star game since 2014 as they continue to build for the future.
“When we talk about Adam Frazier and Bryan Reynolds, we’re talking about two players who are incredibly consistent in how they prepare to play,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said, via Triblive.com. “Physically and mentally, they find ways to get better every day…we need lots and lots of players like that.”
The All-Star game takes place in Denver this year, after originally being moved away from Atlanta’s Trust Park. The game is scheduled for July 13th, with the Home Run Derby happening the night before on July 12th. The 2021 MLB Draft will also take place from Denver running from July 11th-13th.
