Pittsburgh Pirates Election Day: Who are the Top Players So Far?

Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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Pittsburgh Pirates Josh Bell
Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

Hitter of the Year

On a team that has seen plenty of offensive woes, the Pittsburgh Pirates have had one bright spot.  With slow starts from Polanco and McCutchen, and Kang and Marte being out of the lineup altogether, the Pittsburgh Pirates have had to find offense from somewhere else.  Josh Bell has been the Pittsburgh Pirates best all-around hitter.  Keep in mind that Josh Bell started off the year in a slump, to the point that some wanted him sent to Triple-A.

Now, Bell is hitting .243, which still is not great, but he also has an onb-base percentage of .336 and is slugging .478.  Add those numbers all up and he has an OPS of .814, which is impressive considering a somewhat mediocre batting average.  Just another reason why batting average does not always tell the story of how productive a hitter is or is not.  Bell is tied for second on the team in walks.  Also, he leads the team in home runs with seven, including a big two-run shot against the Diamondbacks on Sunday. Put that with his improved defense, and he is trending in a very productive direction. In general, Josh Bell has climbed out of his early season slump and is showing why he was so touted coming up through the system.