Lancaster, California —— Entering play on Friday night, San Francisco Giants outfield prospect Bryan Reynolds is slashing .311/.355/.450/.805 over 87 games for the California League‘s San Jose Giants, with 19 doubles, eight triples, five home runs, 21 walks, and 80 strikeouts over 360 at-bats in 2017. I have observed the Vanderbilt University product more than a handful of times already this year; below is Baseball Census‘ full Bryan Reynolds scouting report, including several videos.
Bryan Reynolds Scouting Report — Video
Here is all our current video of San Francisco Giants outfield prospect Bryan Reynolds hitting in the California League at various points throughout the 2017 season:
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Bryan Reynolds Scouting Report — Notes
A switch-hitter by trade, Bryan Reynolds is remarkably talented from both sides of the plate, though he’s a better overall hitter left-handed, and shows better raw power from the right side. I like him a lot from the left side of the plate; he has a compact stroke that shoots line drives gap to gap, and he controls the bat very well while having good plate coverage. Further, his above-average speed shows out well when he’s hitting left-handed; a quick first step out of the box and good reads once the ball is in play make him a very advanced base runner. He turns on pitches well from the left side of the plate, too, and looks more comfortable in his stance and swing there. From the right side, however, he shows good lift with his swing and even though his stance and stride are significantly simpler, he can still find the barrel there. All this to say: he’s clearly a good enough switch hitter to continue to do it, and hit for average while he’s there. His matchup versatility alone will make him a valuable force in the lineup as he reaches the high minors and big leagues with the San Francisco Giants.
Defensively, Bryan Reynolds can play all three outfield positions with ease. His foot speed makes him workable in center field for long stretches, and his above-average arm strength and throwing accuracy make it so that right field is viable, too. Reynolds gets good reads on the ball hit off the bat, and he can track it down out there with the best of them in the California League this year. He’s further aided by his exceptional high-level college experience that has helped him adjust very quickly to game speed at the High-A level. He should ultimately hit enough to play right field one day, and he ought to remain a good enough athlete to play center field, so his future will be one dictated by positional need for the San Francisco Giants.
Bryan Reynolds Scouting Report — Projection
A Futures Game participant earlier this month, Bryan Reynolds has as bright a future as anyone in the San Francisco Giants organization, and it’s almost a wonder that he’s still in High-A now. The outfielder’s no-nonsense short stroke at the plate has him hitting on a tear, and an advanced approach there coupled with his major college baseball background suggest that he’s ready for another challenge. I’d be surprised if he didn’t get at least a brief stint in Double-A later this summer; Reynolds has plainly proven that, with no frills, he’s a good ballplayer who is mature and wise for his age and experience level.
Long term, he has the tools to be an everyday starting outfielder for the San Francisco Giants. The question, as I mention above, is whether the club will need him in right, center, or left; his athleticism and versatility will help the Giants in being able to position him where they need him the most, as he can do enough across all facets of the game to warrant a lineup role at any of the three spots. I think Bryan Reynolds will one day prove to be able to hit for average in the big leagues in an exceptional way, and he may just show off some sneaky over-the-fence pop at times to go along with it. He should make a big league impact by 2019.
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