Reynolds' big triple

Bryan Reynolds turned a soft-hit ball into a big swing for Pittsburgh, driving in three runs with a triple that pushed the Pirates ahead 8-1. (baseballsavant.mlb.com) Baseball Savant logged the ball at 79.2 miles per hour off the bat and gave it a.990 expected batting average, a Statcast estimate that means balls hit like that usually fall for hits. (baseballsavant.mlb.com) That combination looks unusual because Statcast also defines a “hard-hit” ball as one struck at 95 miles per hour or more, and Reynolds’ 79.2 mile per hour triple landed well below that line. (baseballsavant.mlb.com) Expected batting average measures the odds that a batted ball becomes a hit based on exit speed and launch angle, not whether it was crushed. A softly struck ball into open space can still rate as highly likely to drop in. (baseballsavant.mlb.com) Reynolds has opened 2026 as one of Pittsburgh’s steadier hitters, batting.267 with a.357 on-base percentage and a.433 slugging percentage entering Tuesday. Baseball Savant lists his average exit velocity at 92.4 miles per hour and his expected slugging at.520. (baseballsavant.mlb.com) The Pirates also entered Tuesday in first place in the National League Central at 9-6. Their early push has included a 4-3 extra-inning win over the Chicago Cubs on April 12 and a 2-0 win over Chicago on April 11, when Reynolds hit a two-run homer. (espn.com) Pittsburgh’s offense has leaned on contact in spots as much as pure power, and Reynolds’ triple fit that pattern. The play showed how placement, spin and outfield positioning can turn a modestly struck ball into three runs. (baseballsavant.mlb.com) For Reynolds, the box score will keep the simple version: a three-run triple and an 8-1 lead. The Statcast line underneath it explains why the play looked strange and counted the same. (baseballsavant.mlb.com)