for Bryan out loud

What a start for Bryan Reynolds. Yesterday afternoon, he finished a single short of the cycle and went 3-5, 3B, HR, 3 R, and 6 RBI in the Pirates’ thrilling 13-9 win over the White Sox.

Yesterday’s scene was special. Not only was it the home opener, but it was also Andrew McCutchen’s first game as a Pirate in PNC Park since 2017. We were told there’s no crying in baseball. Tom Hanks is a liar. McCutchen, of course, struck for the Pirates first hit of the game, the first of many Lucas Giolito would serve up. In the fourth, with the White Sox ahead 6-4 and two runners on, Reynolds tagged a changeup from Giolito and sent it 416 feet (106.9 EV) to straightaway center.

In the fifth, Jake Diekman relieved Giolito and was chased by a bases-loaded walk from Oneil Cruz. Jimmy Lambert entered to face Reynolds with the bases juiced. Lambert hung a slider and Reynolds ripped it down the right-field line for a bases-clearing triple before scoring on a throwing error. Reynolds ends the day hitting .448 with a 1.572 OPS. Last season, he didn’t hit his fifth home run until May 21st, his 36th game of the season. It’s April 8th, and Reynolds leads baseball in home runs and RBI. And the Pirates are 5-2, one game behind the Brewers in the NL Central. They, of course, have another Brian, Brian Anderson, who leads the league with a 1.593 OPS.

Let’s see how the other hitters did Friday:

Oscar Colás (CWS): 1-4, HR, R, RBI.

Home run number one for the White Sox rookie came at the very end. In the ninth, with the White Sox trailing 13-8, Oscar Colás squared up a hanging slider from Wil Crowe and sent it 416 feet to straightaway center. The ball was scorched too at 112 mph, his max EV so far. Through his first eight games, he’s hitting .269 with a 21.7% K rate. The 24-year-old lefty has good power (60-grade raw power via FanGraphs) but he’s an extremely aggressive hitter, so if you’re in a league that values walks, he might be a difficult player to roster.

Jake Burger also hit his first of the year. The Burgermeister’s 419-foot tank shot to left (106.4 EV) came off a 71 mph curveball from Rich Hill in the third.

Luis Robert Jr. (CWS): 3-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI.

Hopefully, we get to see him healthy all year. After being held to under 100 games the past two seasons, Luis Robert Jr. is off to a blazing start in year four. He took Rich Hill deep in his second at-bat, a two-run, 413-foot shot (104.3 EV) to center. In their next encounter, Dick Mountain thought to freeze him on a 3-2 bender. Jamie Moyer would’ve been proud. Alas, the 70 mph pitch hung like a weather balloon and the righty put a late swing on it. The result was a 346-foot shot (102.4 EV) just over the right field fence for his second two-run shot of the afternoon. He’s hitting .361 with a 1.111 OPS. My only complaint is the lack of walks. None!?! C’mon! I’m kidding. Sort of.

Tim Anderson went 4-for-5 with four runs scored and two stolen bases. He’s hitting .353 with a .389 OBP.

Isaac Paredes (TB): 3-5, HR, R, 4 RBI.

Isaac Paredes hit just .205 last season but had a .304 OBP thanks to an 11.5% BB rate. The righty showed some pretty strong splits last season, worth noting because we know the Rays love to platoon. In 381 PA, he hit .196 with a .701 OPS against RHP and .231 with a .840 OPS against LHP. Last night’s Grand Salami came courtesy of a hanging sweeper from lefty Ken Waldichuk. The 355-foot flyball (95.7 EV) just cleared the left-field fence. He’s started six of the Rays’ first eight games, has hit third and sixth in the order, and is batting .333 with a .983 OPS.

Christian Bethancourt, Wander Franco, Harold Ramírez, and Manuel Margot also went yard for the Rays in their 8-4 win.

Oswaldo Cabrera (NYY): 3-4, 2B, R, 3 RBI, SB.

Oswaldo Cabrera has started six of the Yankees’ eight games and got the start in LF last night. He did have three starts at 3B last season, so he might be an option to help fill in following the injury to Josh Donaldson. The switch hitter’s two-run double in the sixth off Logan Gillaspie briefly gave the Yankees the lead. He also picked up his first steal of the year. Last year, he hit .247 with six HR and four SB across 171 PA.

Brandon Nimmo (NYM): 0-1, 2 R, 4 BB, SB.

Yesterday, Sean Roberts surveyed the early impact of the new rule changes. Stolen bases are, as you know, way up. Case in point, Nimmo has two steals already. His high water mark was nine back in 2018. In other news, Edward Cabrera still can’t find the plate. The Mets’ leadoff man took advantage and walked his first two plate appearances. And then he walked in his next trip against reliever Huascar Brazoban. He’s hitting just .227 but is rocking a .455 OBP. My hero.

Starling Marte, Francisco Lindor, and Pete Alonso went yard as part of the Mets’ 9-3 win in their home opener.

Alex Call (WSH): 1-2, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.

Batting leadoff, the 28-year-old righty opened last night’s Coors Field slugfest with a 410-foot drive to left (102.6 EV) off José Ureña. Jeimer Candelario followed suit with his second of the year. Alex Call added a sac fly in the fifth, scoring CJ Abrams who pushed himself firmly past the Mendoza line last night by going 3-for-4 with two triples. Maybe he’s just a platoon bat when Corey Dickerson (calf) returns. But I’m a little interested in Call. In the minors last year, he had a 16.1% BB rate, 16.4% K rate, and .911 OPS across 71 games with Triple-A Columbus before being released by the Guardians. The Nats scooped him up late and he hit .237 with a .748 OPS, five home runs, and three stolen bases across 47 games. He might be an option to consider in deep formats if you’re in a bind.

Evan Longoria (ARI): 3-3, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB.

Leading off the sixth, with the Dodgers ahead 3-2, Evan Longoria turned on a slider from Clayton Kershaw and yanked it 398 feet (104.4 EV) over the left-field fence. Corbin Carroll followed and turned on a 91 mph heater from Kershaw, hitting it 432 feet over the wall in right-center (107.4 EV) for his second of the year as the D-Backs surprised the Dodgers with a 6-3 win. Longoria still has pop in his bat, evidenced by a barrel rate in the 70th percentile last year. But he’s been limited to under 90 games the past two seasons. Now, he finds himself in a platoon of sorts with Josh Rojas.

Julio Rodríguez (SEA): 2-5, HR, R, 2 RBI, SB.

The reigning AL RotY’s second home run of the season came on a slider from reliever Nick Sandlin and travelled 386 feet to left (104.2 EV). Nothing new here, but it’s good to see Julio Rodríguez with his third steal already after having had just six swipes from July through the end of last season.

Also of note, Jarred Kelenic went 1-for-4 with a double and was tracked with three hard hits. And he didn’t strike out. Baby steps.

Ji Hwan Bae (PIT): 3-5, 2B, 2 R, RBI.

Ji Hwan Bae was picked up in a lot of leagues after stealing two bases on Opening Day. His three hits pushed his average back over .300. He has started six of seven for the Pirates as their eighth-place hitter. Last year, Bae hit .289 and stole 30 bases across 108 games with Triple-A Indianapolis.

Connor Joe went 4-for-5 for the Pirates, but his playing time seems less secure.

David Villar (SF): 0-3, BB

Nothing in the box score for David Villar, but if you missed out on the Brian Anderson sweepstakes, keep an eye on him. He’s started all but one game for the Giants and has been hitting in the middle of the order. Last year, he posted a 1.022 OPS with 27 home runs across 84 games in Triple-A.

James Outman (LAD): 1-3, HR, R, RBI, BB.

The lefty has started all but one game for the Dodgers. In his first at-bat, he tagged a first-pitch fastball at 89 mph from Madison Bumgarner and sent it 416 feet (107.9 EV) over the right-field fence. James Outman’s hitting .350 with a 1.369 OPS. The power is legit, but strikeouts might hold him back a little. Last year, he had a 25% K rate in Triple-A and he’s hovering around 30% now.

Image courtesy of Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis and Aaron Polcare