What To Expect: Josh Bell

The Pirates have made another call to Triple-A Indianapolis to buttress the major league club.

After calling up four-fifths of Indy’s starting rotation—Jameson Taillon, Chad Kuhl, Steven Brault and Tyler Glasnow—the Buccos on Friday called up first baseman Josh Bell.

Bell ranks No. 38 on our Midseason Top 100 Prospects list, which just dropped today. The move is not especially surprising, given that Bell had a great June and that John Jaso did not (.619 OPS since the end of May).

SCOUTING REPORT

Bell asked teams not to draft him during his senior year of high school in 2011 because he was intent on furthering his education and playing at Texas. However, the Pirates selected him with the first pick in the second round and signed him for $5 million, a record for a pick outside the first round.

Bell is a divisive prospect because some scouts see an offensive force whose power is just starting to come this year. He manages the strike zone well and an added leg kick has helped him drive the ball. But others are concerned that his lack of athleticism and low energy will not translate well, and before this season he showed little ability to do much damage from the right side.

The real red flag is Bell’s defense. He’s worked hard to make the transition from the outfield to first base but is still a below-average defender. He struggles making throws from the position and had trouble receiving throws even on pickoff attempts. His best position is as a hitter.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Jaso is signed through 2017 but Bell could be the long-term answer if he continues to work to become even a fringy defender. He doesn’t strike out much, has an excellent walk rate and has shown improved power. His bat should play well at PNC Park especially as a lefthanded hitter and the strides he made as a righthanded hitter portend well for the future.