Josh Bell hit a 402 foot dinger on Monday off of a dealing Joe Musgrove. The exit velocity was 110 miles per hour. The ball was scorched.
He did a TON of that until the midway point of the 2019 season.
When he was killing it last year, it’s the most fun I’ve ever had watching a baseball player. Even more so than peak Andrew McCutchen.
Bell was hitting moon shot after moon shot after moon shot. Everyone said he looked like Willie Stargell!
Well, until he turned back into a pumpkin.
Through 60 games last year when he had 17 home runs, a .338 batting average and an OPS of 1.091.
In his final 60 games last year, he has 12 home runs, a .232 batting average, and an OPS of .793.
Will the real Josh Bell please stand up?!
Remember that anonymous former scout who shredded the Pirates first baseman? Bell was anything but a lump in 2019.
Thing is, in the second half of the year, and the final 60 games, he was closer to that lump than he was the thumper.
What happened? I can’t tell you. He adjusted to the league and the league adjusted back.
Here’s what I know: If Josh Bell hits as well as he can for 60 games this year, the Pirates are going to score some runs. They'll have a shot, as a team, to make the playoffs.
But what’s the confidence level in that happening? It’s a total question mark. Maybe Bell can just be a .277 hitter with a .900 OPS. That would be great too.
You just want to see consistency.
I have no idea what they’ll get from him this year. The season is going to hinge on which Josh Bell shows up.