Harold Reynolds Apparently Has No Idea How Slugging Percentage Works

Chalk this one up as a swing and a miss for Harold Reynolds.

The MLB Network analyst had an epic blunder on Tuesday’s “Hot Stove” show when he completely botched how slugging percentage is calculated.

During a segment with MLBN’s Matt Vasgersian and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Reynolds and Rosenthal were making comparisons between recently-signed Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley’s and free-agent superstar Manny Machado’s batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS+.

“You’ve got to throw home runs in there, come on!” Reynolds exclaimed.

Rosenthal replied, “Well, it’s factored into slugging,” to which Reynolds responded “No it’s not!”

The fun doesn’t end there. At the end of the segment, Reynolds circled back to slugging percentage.

“Is not a home run and a double credited the same as slugging percentage?,” Reynolds asked.

“No,” Rosenthal deadpanned.

(You can watch the exchange here)

What’s troubling here is that Harold Reynolds spent 12 years in Major League Baseball. While he never was known for his bat, hitting just 21 career home runs, Reynolds should at least have a basic understanding of how baseball’s core statistics work.

But perhaps it’s best that he has forgotten about his career .341 slugging percentage, which sits well below league average by today’s standards.