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Rum Bunter’s 2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Staff Preview: Josh
By Josh Mavilla
Team MVP – Josh Bell
The 2019 campaign is a very important one for the Pirates first basemen. Josh Bell has flashed raw power at the plate in the 2017 season with 26 homers. Last season his power numbers dropped off with only 12. His power will be needed as the Pirates finished in the bottom half of the league in home runs a year ago.
Bell won’t always hit for a tremendous average, but he will consistently hover around .260. His ability to produce runs is there and if he can gain is confidence back this season, we are looking at a stud of a hitter.
He is an outfielder by trade, but a log jam of talent in the outfield for the Pirates gave them the option of transitioning Bell to first base. No, he isn’t the best defensive first basemen in the world, but it can be tolerable if his bat can stay hot. Bell looks to increase his power numbers such as slugging percentage (.411 last season) and OPS (.768 last season). This is imperative for the team if they would like to make a realistic run at the postseason.
With the surplus of first basemen in the NL Central such as, Joey Votto, Goldschmidt, and Anthony Rizzo, it will be a tall task to get an all-star nod for Bell. There is still a good possibility that it could happen if his numbers look more like they did in 2017 or a down year from any of the other first basemen in the division.