In 2016, the Miami Marlins Selected Sean Reynolds in the 4th round of the 2016 MLB draft as a first baseman. 

Flash forward eight years later, and the six foot eight, Redondo Union High School graduate has swapped the batter box for the pitcher’s mound and Marlins Blue for Friars brown and gold. 

While the journey has been a long one, the big league dream is now, as he now Joins the San Diego Padres. 

“Coming into this year I’ve just been incredibly thankful and could not be happier with where I am at. The organization as a whole is phenomenal; I’m super glad to be here and be a member of this organization and this group we have here,” the Padres prospect tells EVT.

“You play to win and the opportunity to play and compete for championships. This opportunity I have with San Diego is all you can ask for as a player.”

Time As A Miami Marlin: 

As mentioned, or as some of you may know, Reynolds was originally drafted as a first baseman back in 2016, with the idea that switching to pitching could be an option in the future. Due to him touching 92 mph on the mound as a high schooler. 

He had flashed power in the minors 2017 & 2018 in Single-A, and was even rated the best power hitter in the Miami Marlins system in 2019 by Baseball America. But with a career K% north of 35% and unable to bat over .200, Reynolds internally acknowledged that a switch to the mound was  perhaps needed. 

“The world obviously got shut down in 2020.  I had a bunch of free time and a shoulder injury I was rehabbing, so at the very least, I wanted to start building my arm back up and start taking pitching and throwing more seriously,” Reynolds noted.

 “I started throwing bullpens and did not think too much of it. But then the front office came to me and discussed getting me back on the mound, and I said of course. At the end of the day I honestly thought that there was a good chance that I would be let go because the stats an numbers I had put up were not up to par with what it takes to get to the big leagues. So one, I was grateful I still have a job, and two, I was like, what was the worst thing that could happen?” 

While getting back on the mound involved some learning curves and adjustments, Reynolds stated that the transition back to the bump was rather organic. 

“I think it was only my second or third outing in 2021 where I closed out a game that we won, and I remember being on the mound and in the moment thinking that this feels way more natural than hitting ever did for five years,” Reynolds said.

The organic feel on the mound would quickly translate into results for Reynolds. In his first full season on the hill in 2021, he would post an ERA of 3.09. 

In 2022, he would post a K% 33.6% and 3.23 FIP and quickly earn a promotion to Double-A. In 2023, Reynolds would again impress, this time serving as the closer for Double-A Pensacola, where he would earn nine saves, posting a 28.5% K% and a 3.35 FIP. 

Trade To San Diego

The strong showing in Double-A would result in getting him another bump, this time to Triple-A. But after 15 games in Jacksonville, Reynolds’ baseball journey would get another shake. 

During the 2023 MLB deadline, he, along with Garrett Cooper, would be traded to the San Diego Padres in exchange for former top Padres prospect Ryan Weathers. 

“With the trade, there were a lot of different mixed emotions and feelings initially. I had spent seven years in Miami around a lot of guys who I had essentially grown up with,” Reynolds commented.

 “But also, during that moment, I was excited. They told me I was going to San Diego, that this was a great thing, that they wanted me, and that they saw value in me. So, I was super excited off the bat. But once you kinda leave, it hits you; I was on the field at 5 o’clock, and then I was on a plane at 8 o’clock to meet the Triple-A team for San Diego. But again, once I settled into being back in southern California, I realized this was a much greater opportunity than I could have ever dreamed of with where I was at  before.”   

Spring Training & Working With Ruben Niebla 

After finishing 2023 in El Paso, Reynolds reported for spring training with San Diego and was placed on San Diego’s 40-man roster. 

While he did not break camp with San Diego, he put together an impressive spring that saw him work four games where he allowed no runs, post a K% of 58.3%, and FIP of 0.44. 

“Going into spring, I shifted my mindset. I wanted to show everyone what they went out and traded for and to show them that the end of last year was just a tough stretch, and that’s not who I am as a player, and certainly not as a pitcher,” Reynolds explained. 

“I was just excited every time they gave me the ball, and I looked at it as an opportunity to showcase what I can do. As a whole, I felt like I had a great two months at the complex.”

Along with his solid string of outings, Reynolds had the opportunity to work closely with Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla and use the biomechanics lab while in Peoria. 

“Ruben and the coaching staff are tremendous. Him, Ben Fritz, and everyone in the pitching and catching department work extremely close together and are so on the same page. I think more than anything he (Ruben Niebla) and Ben (Fritz) know how to get the best out of each individual player,” Reynolds said.

“In January, I went down and threw a bullpen in San Diego, and we talked about some stuff in terms of directionally where I wanted to go and the type of pitcher I want to be. Again, to be on the same page that early going into camp to feel like I have an established connection and line of communication with the big league staff was a really comforting feeling. Ruben, Frtizy, and Shildty are all great and there for their players. They were there two before anyone walked through the doors and there three hours after we all left. ” 

Pitching In El Paso & 2024 

Going into 2024, Reynolds made a few tweaks to his pitching arsenal. After being a fastball and curveball pitcher in Miami, the six-foot-eight right-hander dropped the curve and opted for a slider as he main breaking pitch. Or what he calls more of a cutter. 

The switch has been beneficial, as this season, his slider has generated a 34% Chase%, a .264 xwOBA, a 37.5% Whiff%, and a 106 tjStuff+ grade. He has also tossed in a sweeper, which has seen equally strong results, netting him a 50.5% Whiff% on the pitch this season. 

“Talking with Ruben and Scott Mitchell here in El Paso, we moved over to a slider. I think how it plays off my fastball makes it a more viable out pitch. And from my own experience, velocity never hurts, and as hard as you can be a breaking ball that still moves enough, just gives the hitter less time to react.”   Reynolds stated. 

“The biggest thing has just been trying to dial in the consistency and throw it where I want to because when you leave pitches in the middle of the plate, especially in the PCL where it’s a very hitter-friendly league, that’s when you get hurt.” 

Pitching in El Paso and in the hitter-friendly parks of the PCL, for Reynolds, like it has been for countless other pitchers, has at times skewed his numbers. Pitching at 3,888 feet above sea level, playing and pitching in El Paso can be like pitching on the moon. Balls that traditionally are fly-outs find ways to be twenty rows deep.

Baseball, like all sports, is a results-based business. So when the results are “bad,” it can put a strain on a player mentally. To combat that and ensure he doesn’t get into a rut, Reynolds stays focused and concentrates on a process-oriented mindset. 

“The staff told us prior to the season, hey, we know home runs are going to happen, we know the ball flies are going to carry, but at the end of the day, it’s not going to be a deciding factor in how we view your success. It’s more about strikeout to walk ratio and how you compete out there,” Reynolds noted.

“I think, for me, mentally saying in that process-oriented mindset of,  hey, I did some things well, and maybe I made one bad pitch, that’s just the game. As a competitor, overall, it’s a long season, and you’re frustrated at the moment, but you have to be able to look at it through a broader lens and  think about how pitches felt coming out of your hand, command, and any number of things that you can take to help keep a positive mindset.”

Now, for Reynolds and San Diego, his electric stuff is starting to be met with quality results. Over his last four outings, he has owned a 41.9% K%, 1.63 FIP, and 0.00 ERA, and he has held opposing hitters to a .103 batting average. 

His 97-99 MPH fastball continues to explode out of his hand, with upwards of 17 inches on iVB, and the slider has only gained more vertical depth as the season has progressed. 

And now, eight years after his drafting, Sean Reynolds’s time is now. The opportunity he has worked for is here. 

“There is a great team and clubhouse culture both here in El Paso and in San Diego, and the plan is to be a part of that(San Diego) at some point this year, and I just want to continue to build on the positives. You can only do what you can do; put your name in the hat, and if or when my name gets called, then it’s really go time.” 

Clark E. Fahrenthold

Proud San Diego Native. Attended Sonoma State University, where I received my bachelor’s degree in communications; following my graduation, I returned home to San Diego, where I have worked in the local San Diego media sports scene since 2020.