April 28th- 30th, 2017. Bryan Reynolds went 0-12 with 3K, 1BB over my look. I did see him make reasonable contact and was able to see 2 BP sessions.
Scouting Report Framework
Bryan Reynolds
Age: 22.3
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 205
Position: CF
Org/Level: SFG, Hi-A
Background
Reynolds was taken with the 59th overall pick out of Vanderbilt where he hit .330/.461/.603 in his final junior season. In the summer prior, Reynolds had hit .346/.470/.395 in the Cape Cod League. Previously went to high school in Brentwood, TN playing alongside the more senior Robbie Ray.
Makeup
Reynolds seems to be every part the conventional ballplayer. In both interviews and his own approach at the plate, Reynolds appears to have a simple and enthusiastic outlook on the game. Loves playing CF and has fun making plays. Dry and rigid sense of humor, but seems to have no shame, see "Reynolds Wrap" series from college.
Physical
Moderately broad shoulders with a long neck. He has a thinner look but similar posture to Brandon Belt which may relate to his stance/swing as well. Ass out, chest forward. Evenly muscular and proportional though, might not stay CF-capable as he ages.
Athleticism - Good
Reynolds is able to move fluidly in the outfield but doesn’t show the same body control at the plate. He's not exactly quick on the first step but he has excellent closing speed and finishes routes well. At the plate he's a bit robotic and rigid in his actions and does not appear as loose or flexible.
Setup
Sets up in the box with a wide, upright, straight stance fairly close to home plate.
Swing
Loads his hips very well and keeps his weight on his back leg until his hips twist and pull his weight forward. Hands start around shoulder height and behind his back shoulder, quickly whips barrel through the zone with loose but close hands. Since college Reynolds has had a similar issue to Brandon Belt getting to his power with low and inside pitches. With closed off hips and high hands, it's difficult for Reynolds to cover the inner third. Switch hitting helps him avoid breaking balls jamming him inside, but he will be susceptible to changeups and 2SM fastballs inside. Since college, the Giants seems to have lowered his hands and loosened his grip a bit, hoping to enable him to whip the bat with a bit more freedom around the zone. Consequently, the actions with the bat appear weaker with the looser hands.
Hit
Works the ball to all fields and has the sort of approach that lets him make consistent hard contact in most areas of the zone. Shows the contact skills to grind out long at bats and find the right pitch to put in play. Seems to get more comfortable in the box with longer looks during an AB. Reynolds effectiveness is contingent on his own developing power.
Present: 45
Future: 55
Plate Discipline
More mechanical than batter's eye. Reynolds has a long-proported problem with the inner third of the plate, but has a fair eye for the edges of the zone. Has the eye but not the approach to generate walks. Has a production expectation and settles for soft contact later in at bats. Has flashed a more patient approach in college and in the Cape. Think he will eventually get to average as his skills slowly build upon each other.
Present: 40
Future: 50
Raw Power
Has room to continue developing his body over the coming years. Looks the part of a mini-Belt but does not show the flashes of bat speed or quick-twitch to really make any major strides. Hard to see Reynolds generating much more than gap to gap doubles power on a regular basis with his current swing but college tape shows more potential for a quick bat than he showed. Might be working more on zone coverage at the moment and could be something he improves more in the future. Hunch, but I think there's reasonable power to come.
Present: 35
Future: 45
Power Frequency
Even without a major uptick in walks, I believe Reynolds will improve at laying off the kind of pitches he can't square up. If his approach and swing remain largely consistent, he will need to emulate similar hitters in spitting on the lower/inner third of the zone. Believe Reynolds has the eye to refine his own approach enough to build up a consistent plan at the plate.
Present: 40
Future: 50
Fielding
Reynolds shows excellent instincts in CF taking good routes and tracking the ball well in the air. Mechanically, Reynolds shows some inconsistencies and issues with line drives/base hits on the ground and fielding down lower. I believe that can improve but his range and aggression in CF is hard to project much further improvement.
Present: 50
Future: 55
Range
More closing speed than quick first step. Currently has more fluid hips than you'd expect but it's difficult to see the range improving in the future. Believe he can stay in CF but not as an impact-glove. Similar to how Joc Pederson has been progressing in CF. Instincts can carry him for a while.
Present: 55
Future: 50
Arm
Shows as a fringe average arm for CF. Reasonable accuracy but little carry. More LF arm if he does need to move to a corner.
Present: 40
Future: 45
Running
Has some speed on the basepaths, but more underway than home-to-first or stealing bases. Clocked around 4.25 to 1B.
Present: 45
Future: 45
Summary
Bryan Reynolds is a stable and safe CF prospect seen in Hi-A with the San Jose Giants. The first name off the board for the Giants in the 2016 draft, Reynolds was a 3-year player at Vanderbilt, playing CF everyday in his sophomore and junior seasons. Reynolds shows a solid floor with a decent unspectacular ceiling. At the plate, Reynolds looks like Brandon Belt-lite. He closes off, loads his hips well and works a steep bat through the zone. Driving the ball to all fields, Reynolds doesn't cover the ball in all zones, struggling with the inner third, even moreso low and in, under his hands and tipped bat. In the field, Reynolds plays a bit like Joc Pederson-lite. With a so-so first step, Reynolds uses instincts and good closing speed to make solid plays on balls in the air. He has more difficulty with cutting balls off on the ground, but can refine that skill over time. It's difficult to really dream on Reynolds as he needs more power at the plate and can't afford to sacrifice any agility in CF. Whether Reynolds gains strength or doesn't, I see him as more of a 4th OF than a true everyday player. Role 4.
Role: 4
ETA: 2020