Josh Bell

32-Year-Old First Baseman1B

Free Agent

2024 Stats

AVG

.249

RBI

Rest-of-Season Projections

AVG

RBI

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2024 Fantasy Outlook

Bell signed with the Guardians, ostensibly to add pop to a productive, but power-deficient lineup. With Cleveland's offense struggling all season, they shopped Bell and his .233/.318/.383 line to the Marlins, to hopefully add pop to another lineup lacking punch. This time, the plan rang true, and Bell chimed in with a .276/.344/.490 line the rest of the way. Bell's average exit velocity and hard-hit rate were the same with the Guardians and Marlins, but his BABIP was 42 points higher with Miami, driving his improved production. Bell must have enjoyed his time in South Beach since he exercised his player option to stay. The switch-hitter should play nearly every day, spending time at first base and designated hitter. He should bat in a run-producing spot and be a sneaky asset in mixed leagues since LoanDepot Park is a neutral venue for runs and power. Bell's career 11.7 percent walk rate is a boon for OBP and points leagues. Read Past Outlooks

RANKS

Rest of Season

Overall Rank

From Preseason

#383

ADP

Bats B

Throws R

40 Man No

Height 6'4"

Weight 250

DOB 8/12/1992

Born Irving, TX

College None

Drafted 2nd Rd 2011 PIT

Losing at-bats

1BArizona Diamondbacks

September 22, 2024

Bell entered as a pinch hitter and went 0-for-1 in Saturday's 5-0 win over Milwaukee.

ANALYSIS
Bell stayed in the game to serve as the designated hitter but didn't get any more plate appearances. Saturday's appearance was his first since last Sunday. The September returns of Christian Walker, Ketel Marte and more recently, Lourdes Gurriel, give the Diamondbacks more lineup options, limiting Bell's opportunities. Bell, who had 112 plate appearances during the month of August over 26 games, has just 43 this month with seven games left in the regular season.

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Batting Stats

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2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

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2023 MLB Game Log

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2022 MLB Game Log

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2021 MLB Game Log

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2020 MLB Game Log

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Batting Order Slot Breakdown

vs Right-Handed Pitchers

vs RHP

vs Left-Handed Pitchers

vs LHP

Left/Right Batting Splits

Since 2022

+8%

OPS vs LHP

2024

+4%

OPS vs RHP

2023

+23%

OPS vs LHP

2022

+6%

OPS vs LHP

	OPS	PA	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Since 2022vs Left	.790	593	60	21	83	0	.262	.342	.448
Since 2022vs Right	.733	1264	132	37	133	0	.251	.333	.400
2024vs Left	.705	197	19	6	24	0	.243	.310	.395
2024vs Right	.734	401	43	13	47	0	.252	.324	.410
2023vs Left	.854	186	12	8	27	0	.265	.360	.494
2023vs Right	.697	429	40	14	47	0	.239	.310	.387
2022vs Left	.816	210	29	7	32	0	.276	.357	.459
2022vs Right	.768	434	49	10	39	0	.261	.364	.404
More Splits→	View More Split Stats

Home/Away Batting Splits

Since 2022

+17%

OPS at Home

2024

+18%

OPS at Home

2023

+4%

OPS at Home

2022

+31%

OPS at Home

	OPS	PA	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Since 2022Home	.811	929	110	33	113	0	.276	.354	.457
Since 2022Away	.692	928	82	25	103	0	.232	.318	.374
2024Home	.782	310	38	9	40	0	.278	.345	.437
2024Away	.663	288	24	10	31	0	.218	.292	.372
2023Home	.758	297	28	11	34	0	.257	.327	.431
2023Away	.730	318	24	11	40	0	.237	.324	.406
2022Home	.890	322	44	13	39	0	.293	.388	.502
2022Away	.679	322	34	4	32	0	.240	.335	.344
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Stat Review

How does Josh Bell compare to other hitters?

This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.

BB/K
Walk to strikeout ratio
BB Rate
The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a walk.
K Rate
The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a strikeout.
BABIP
Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many of a batter’s balls in play go for hits.
ISO
Isolated Power. Slugging percentage minus batting average. A computation used to measure a batter's raw power.
AVG
Batting average. Hits divided by at bats.
OBP
On Base Percentage. A measure of how often a batters reaches base. Roughly equal to number of times on base divided by plate appearances.
SLG
Slugging Percentage. A measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats.
OPS
On base plus slugging. THe sum of a batter's on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
wOBA
Weighted on-base average. Measures a player's overall offensive contributions per plate appearance. wOBA combines all the different aspects of hitting into one metric, weighting each of them in proportion to their actual run value.
Exit Velocity
The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
Hard Hit Rate
A measure of contact quality from Sports Info Solutions. This stat explains what percentage of batted balls were hit hard vs. medium or soft.
Barrels/PA
The percentage of plate appearances where a batter had a batted ball classified as a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
Expected BA
Expected Batting Average.
Expected SLG
Expected Slugging Percentage.
Sprint Speed
The speed of a runner from home to first, in feet per second.
Ground Ball %
The percentage of balls put in play that are on the ground.
Line Drive %
The percentage of balls put in play that are line drives.
Fly Ball %
The percentage of balls put in play that are fly balls.

BB/K

0.43

BB Rate

8.5%

K Rate

20.1%

BABIP

.286

ISO

.156

AVG

.249

OBP

.319

SLG

.405

OPS

.725

wOBA

.320

Exit Velocity

88.9 mph

Hard Hit Rate

32.8%

Barrels/PA

5.4%

Expected BA

.239

Expected SLG

.396

Sprint Speed

21.6 ft/sec

Ground Ball %

49.6%

Line Drive %

17.3%

Fly Ball %

33.0%

Advanced Batting Stats

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Additional Stats

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Defensive Stats

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Batted Ball Stats

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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers

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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Josh Bell See More

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Erik Halterman kicks off an early offseason review and preview by breaking down each position by tier, starting with first base, where Vladimir Guerrero shined in an otherwise underwhelming group.

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52 days ago

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The Z Files: Strategy and Rankings for the Underdog Fantasy Playoff Contest

56 days ago

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Weekly Hitter Rankings: Last Ups

61 days ago

Ryan McMahon and the Rockies finish the season with six straight home games.

Past Fantasy Outlooks

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

As fantasy managers, we want all the data we can get to analyze how a player will perform. One thing we cannot measure is what happens when you disrupt a player's situation with a midseason trade and we saw that come to pass with Bell last season. The first baseman was having a terrific fantasy season for managers who bought back in at a great price this past winter until the deadline deal to the Padres where he slipped back into 2020 levels of production without the excuse of a pandemic at its peak to blame. His performance simply cratered out west dropping from a 143 wRC+ with the Nationals to a 79 wRC+ with the Padres. The pre-trade performance was some of the best production we have seen from Bell while the performance with the Padres was a return to the 2020 season which tanked his value he established during the happy fun ball season of 2019. His 2021 numbers are a more realistic expectation of what the 30 year old free agent can do in a full season, but he is on his third team in less than a year after signing with the Guardians to be their designated hitter.

Bell was acquired by the Nationals prior to the 2021 season to add some thump to the lineup. He finished the season 18% better than league average by wRC+, but did not reach the levels of production which got most excited back in 2019. The overall quality of contact remained strong, but the 13% Barrel rate which fueled the 2019 season fell back to his 8-9% career range. His Statcast page remains loaded with red ink and he is slotted to hit behind Juan Soto, which should provide ample RBI chances as the league pitches around the wunderkind. Bell is in his final year of team control, so should the Nationals fall out of contention, Bell becomes a primary trade target of a contender looking for a run producer in the top half of the lineup. Expect Bell to have another solid season with an outside chance of another spectacular one.

Bell was quite an interesting option last offseason coming off a campaign in which he posted career highs in average (.277), homers (37) and RBI (116). Even a regression back to the .260/.348/.436 hitter he was over his first three seasons would have made him useful enough, but he wound up falling far short of even that modest level, hitting a very poor .226/.305/.364. He seemingly can't blame bad luck, as his .229 xBA was easily his career low. His K% spiked from 19.2 to 26.5, while his BB% fell from 12.1 to 9.9. There's really no positive spin to put on his overall awful season, but an offseason deal that freed him from a tough home park in Pittsburgh and the weak Pirates lineup offers a path to a rebound as the Nationals' new starting first baseman, and Bell's strong 2019 season means he's demonstrated a higher performance level than most hitters available in his range.

Following a year in which Bell hit just 12 homers, the 27-year-old first baseman broke out for 37 long balls, 116 RBI and 94 runs scored over 143 contests. He went ice cold after the All-Star break, batting .188 without a homer in his first 24 games of the second half, and missed the final couple weeks of the season with a groin injury. However, he still finished with a 135 wRC+ and 2.5 fWAR. Bell's power surge in 2019 was fueled by a more aggressive approach at the plate and helped by an inflated 23.9% HR/FB (9.2% in 2018). While he had a sizable platoon split, Bell was not far below league average against lefties, and his poor defense is not going to cost him playing time in Pittsburgh. Despite the late slide, he is still in the conversation to go top 10 among first basemen in 2020 drafts, though he'll need to put together another strong campaign to prove 2019 was not a fluke.

There were some positives in Bell’s 2018 season. His batting average improved by six points, his on-base percentage increased by 23 points and he improved his already-stellar walk and strikeout rates. However, these upgrades were heavily offset by a downturn in power. Bell hit just 12 homers compared to 26 the year prior and his slugging percentage dropped 55 points as a result. Some of this regression was expected, as his home-run-to-flyball rate came back down to a more reasonable 9.2% from his 19.1% mark in 2017. His struggles against left-handed pitching also hurt him, as he mustered just a .734 OPS with two home runs against them last season. Bell’s standing as the Pirates’ starting first baseman is safe, but he needs to improve his power output to avoid getting lost in the wash at the first-base position.

Long considered a hit over power first baseman, Bell uprooted that narrative last season with 26 long balls and just a .255 average. He finished with a .211 ISO, which ranked 52nd among qualified hitters, with 11 of his home runs coming at PNC in a bottom-eight park for homers. However, his flyball rate was just over 30 percent while his HR/FB was inflated at 19.1 percent; it's hard to bet on him repeating that level of power production next season. Further, while Bell made consistent contact, walked at an above-average rate and his BABIP was depressed, his xBA was identical to his actual batting average, so it's not a given that he gets a lot back in that department in 2018. There may very well be another level or two to his game, but it's unwise to assume he puts it all together and vaults into top-75 territory right away this season. It's better to instead keep expectations modest -- another $10-plus season in 15-team leagues -- with anything beyond that being a bonus.

Bell burst onto the scene in 2016, stroking a memorable grand slam off Chicago's Jake Arrieta in his first series just prior to the All-Star break. GM Neal Huntington then recalled Bell for good in August. Bell batted .273/.368/.406 in 152 plate appearances, though he hit just .167 in his final 47 at-bats. The 24-year-old played at first base but later saw time in right field. His defense is below average but his bat excites fantasy owners. The switch-hitter hit .324 with 13 homers and 41:55 BB:K in 359 Triple-A plate appearances, contending for the Triple Crown. He also showed excellent command of the strike zone in Pittsburgh, walking more times (21) than he struck out (19). Bell should start out on the strong side of a platoon with David Freese at first base, but given his pedigree and long-term upside as a hitter, he should eventually earn everyday at-bats and could have a breakout season.

Bell is somewhat of an enigma. The 6-foot-2, 233-pounder produced a sterling .317/.393/.446 line split between Double-A and Triple-A while exhibiting tremendous plate discipline (65:65 K:BB). He hit only seven homers in 572 plate appearances, however, and the Pirates need power from the first base position. The organization is hopeful the 23-year-old matures into 20-plus home run hitter annually, as his raw power grades out as above average, though potential .300 hitters have plenty of value regardless of home run-hitting ability. A former outfielder, Bell will likely begin 2016 at Triple-A Indianapolis, but he could be called up in late-April, once the Pirates have exacted an extra year of control over the promising prospect. The likes of John Jaso, Mike Morse and Jason Rogers do not exactly represent daunting roadblocks.

Bell compiled an overall line of .325/.375/.459 and was named Pittsburgh's top minor league hitter of the year in 2014. The organization moved Bell to first base from the outfield for the Arizona Fall League, with fairly disappointing results. The Pirates have sought help at first and the 22-year-old switch-hitter projects as a possible long-term solution. Unfortunately, after a rough AFL both in the field (five errors) and at the plate (zero homers), the organization must wonder whether the 6-foot-2, 235 pounder will ever hit for power. Bell went deep just nine times in 465 plate appearances split between High-A (nine homers in 363 PA) and Double-A (zero homers in 102 PA). He's already dealt with knee injuries on multiple occasions, but if he finds a power stroke, the Bucs will most likely fast track him to the majors.

Bell may have taken a back seat to some of Pittsburgh's other prospects for the last year or so, but make no mistake - his power potential is for real. After being limited to 15 games due to a knee injury in 2012, the switch-hitting corner outfielder began to find his way last summer. Bell posted a .279/.353/.453 line in 459 at-bats for Low-A West Virginia, to which he added 37 doubles, 13 homers, and 76 RBI. Pittsburgh might not promote the second-round draft pick swiftly, if only because the 21-year-old missed nearly all of 2012, but his offensive potential has the organization excited about his future. Owners in dynasty leagues should consider Bell, while most should track his progress. He's likely Pittsburgh's second-best offensive prospect behind Gregory Polanco.

Bell entered 2012 as the team's brightest and best paid ($5 million bonus) offensive prospect in the low minors. He played in only 15 Low-A games, however, before suffering a knee injury that cost him his season -- not exactly the best way to start a pro career. Inflammation in his left knee lingered throughout the summer to the point that he was unable to participate in the fall Instructional League. Hopefully he'll find a way to get back on the field for 2013 because he's one of the organization's best power prospects. The switch-hitter, who remains years away from the majors, makes for a strong pickup in dynasty leagues assuming that he makes it back from his knee issues.

Bell entered the 2011 draft as a player with immense power who seemed bent on foregoing the draft to enter college. His mother is a university professor, but the lure of first-round money at pick No. 61 proved to be too much for the switch-hitter to pass up. Bell immediately becomes the best power prospect in the Pirates system. He's thought to be average at best defensively, but has a chance to move up quickly an offensively-challenged organizational ladder. His second-round, $5 million contract would've never happened under the new CBA, but Bell gives the small market Bucs a chance to cash in on a player who was universally ranked as a first-round talent.

More Fantasy News

Back in lineup Sunday

1BArizona Diamondbacks

September 8, 2024

Bell will start at first base and bat cleanup in Sunday's game against the Astros.