Reyes' power makes seamless transition to new lineup

CINCINNATI -- It seemed like only a matter of time before Franmil Reyes left the yard as a member of the Cubs.

After getting waived by the Guardians Aug. 6 and claimed just two days later by the Cubs, the 27-year-old slugger has found a way to impact each of the first three games he’s appeared in.

That trend continued Saturday night when Reyes slugged his first home run in a Cubs uniform, muscling a slider from Reds starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft 361 feet into the visitors' bullpen in right field. At the time it gave the Cubs a 2-1 lead, part of an eventual 7-2 victory at Great American Ball Park.

His impressive display of power has quickly made him a favorite in the clubhouse, especially from Saturday’s starter, who benefited from the blast the most.

“That power is incredible,” starting pitcher Adrian Sampson said. “It just looks like he just drops the bat, and [the ball] goes 360 feet. We’re very happy to have him here. He’s fit right in right from the get-go.

“It’s hard to put yourself into a new team in the middle of the season, but it was such an easy transition for him. You’ve got to give credit where credit is due.”

Reyes made his Cubs debut against Washington on Tuesday, finishing 1-for-4 with a game-tying RBI single in the seventh inning. Then, getting the start in the Field of Dreams Game, Reyes went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.

Saturday’s longball -- part of a three-home run performance by the Cubs -- marked just his 10th home run of the season, a far cry from the power numbers he has put up in seasons past. Reyes is just a season removed from slugging 30 home runs, and just three seasons removed from a 37-homer campaign back in 2019 with San Diego and Cleveland. This season has gone much differently however, as he was sidelined with a hamstring injury in June and is struggling to find his footing at the big league level when healthy, slashing just .213/.254/.350 in 70 games when he was DFA’d by the Guardians.

That also made him a perfect match for the Cubs. In acquiring Reyes, they received a low-risk power bat to insert into the middle of their order. Chicago assumed the remainder of his 2022 salary, and he has two years of team control left. While the Cubs' playoff aspirations have been dashed for a while, Reyes could hit his way into the team's lineup for next few seasons.

Regardless of the drop in production, his metrics are still impressive. Reyes ranks in the 94th percentile in average exit velocity (47.3%), as well as the 92nd percentile in barrel percentage (13.8%).

“You look at his spray chart … I mean he’s got big-time power,” manager David Ross said. “It’s home runs line to line. This guy can hit them out anywhere. He just touches it and the ball goes.”

“He’s got so much juice,” left fielder Ian Happ said. “It was a really good swing to go backside like that. He’s had really good at-bats. It’s been fun to watch. Awesome guy in the clubhouse.”

Reyes signed with the San Diego Padres as an international free agent in November 2011 and made his big league debut with the club seven years later. During his time in San Diego, Reyes was introduced to current Cubs assistant hitting coach Johnny Washington and bench coach Andy Green. That made the opportunity too perfect to pass up.

“If you know the guy at all, [you know] he fits in really well with everybody,” Ross said. “His teammates love him already, the guys are rooting for him. … I think [the transition has] been pretty seamless.”