Reynolds’ sensational season pays off with call-up

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He’s been to the Major Leagues before, but getting back to baseball’s top level hasn’t been an easy or swift process for Greg Reynolds. This isn’t even the first time that he has had to climb back to the top through some lengthy stints in the minors. On Tuesday night, the most recent road back ended for the now-former Louisville Bats starter. Reynolds got the call for game two of a double header between the Bats’ parent club Cincinnati Reds and the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants. Coincidentally, the Reds’ starter for game one of the twin bill was another familiar face for Bats fans this season, Tony Cingrani.

While Reynolds conceded that his first start back in the Majors in more than two years didn’t go as well as he had hoped (he allowed five earned runs in five innings of work), perhaps it was the long break since had last pitched in “The Bigs” that was most impressive.

A first round pick of the Colorado Rockies out of Stanford in 2006, Reynolds first broke onto the big stage in May of 2008. He posted a 2–8 record with an ERA over 8.00 in 13 starts on the campaign. The rough rookie season landed the then-23-year-old back down on the farm for two full seasons in the Colorado chain. During that span, he played all over the system, from as low as Advanced Class-A Modesto to Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Prior to Tuesday, his last start in Major League Baseball was on July 2, 2011. Still a member of the Rockies, Reynolds got the win in a 9–6 victory over the Kansas City Royals after going five innings and allowing five earned runs. He was 3–0 for Colorado that season, but would be traded to the Texas Rangers the following January in a minor league deal. In 2012, he played for Texas’ Triple-A affiliate, the Round Rock Express.

The 6'7" righty’s most recent Major League drought was nearly as long as the one he endured from 2008–2011, but his work this season with the Bats has been the best and most consistent of his professional career. The starter of this year’s Triple-A All-Star game for the International League, Reynolds has been nothing short of spectacular in 2013. Through the month of June, he was 10–0 including a five-game stretch starting in late May during which he allowed one earned run or less. His current 2.54 ERA is more than two points better than any season in which he has started 19 games or more.

Reynolds’ remarkable first half reached it’s pinnacle on June 21 against the Rochester Red Wings when he threw Louisville’s only complete game shut out of the season to date at Louisville Slugger Field. His dazzling performance included a no-hit bid through 6.1 innings and a season-high eight strikeouts.

For the humble and grounded California native, hard work and plenty of patience has paid off once again. He admits that he has had to reinvent himself on the mound, and says that his work with Bats pitching coach Ted Power has turned him into “a better pitcher and less of a thrower”. According to manager Jim Riggleman, it has been his ability to use his entire arsenal effectively that has turned him into one of the best starters in the International League this season.

Now 28 years old, the well-traveled yet rejuvenated Reynolds hopes that his latest resurgence is just the beginning.