Pirates A to Z: Josh Bell going back to basics to get his timing down after a season of struggle

During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z, an alphabetical player-by-player look at the 40-man roster, from outfielder Anthony Alford to pitcher Trevor Williams. (The only MLB player with a surname that starts with Z is Detroit Tigers pitcher Jordan Zimmerman).

Josh Bell

Position: First baseman/designated hitter

Bats/throws: Switch hitter/right

Age: 28

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 250 pounds

2020 MLB statistics: Slashed .226/.305/.364 with three doubles, eight home runs and 22 RBIs in 57 games.

Contract: Scheduled to be paid $4.8 million in 2020 before salaries were prorated, Bell enters his second year of arbitration. He is eligible for free agency in 2023.

Acquired: Drafted in the second round in 2011.

This past season: After a monster May that led to his first All-Star appearance in 2019, Bell was by far the team’s biggest disappointment.

Bell blamed some of his struggles on a crucial crutch, as he wasn’t able to watch video between at-bats.

He was lost without the ability to see what was wrong with his timing. Bell batted .279 against fastballs — hitting seven of his eight home runs on heaters — but his whiff rate soared from 25.3% in 2019 to 33.5% this past season as he struggled to hit breaking (.174) and off-speed (.132) pitches.

“I do know that the success I had last year came from me and (hitting coach Rick) Eckstein breaking down swings on a regular basis,” Bell said. “It started in spring training. We were videotaping batting practice and trying to find something that worked in the games and when things were on. I had different cues that I could look at on a regular basis. Without those cues, I kind of felt like it was definitely tough baseball.”

Josh Bell just hit a car. ?#RingIt pic.twitter.com/kOfc4Mzl47

— Pirates (@Pirates) August 30, 2020

Where Bell slashed .333/.398/.685 with 20 doubles, 18 homers and 52 RBIs through his first 57 games on his way to a 37-homer, 116-RBI season in 2019, he was on pace to hit 23 homers with 63 RBIs this past season. His launch angle dropped from a career-best 12.9 to a career-worst 5.9, and he also produced career-worsts in strikeout percentage (26.5) and groundball rate (56.4).

Bell blamed his timing.

“I feel like if you go down to the science of the game, ground balls happen with late contact,” Bell said. “The closer the ball is to home plate itself, the more likely your launch angle is going to be negative. The more out in front you can hit the ball, the more likely it is to be in the air. That’s the name of the game — being on time — but being on time enough to push that barrel out in front of the body just a little bit to be on the upper part of your swing when you’re making contact. With regards to my ground ball rate, I just feel like I wasn’t on time. If I’m missing balls pull side on the ground, that means I was beat.”

What’s worse, Bell also had difficulties on defense, especially with his throwing after dropping his arm angle to a sidearm, and adjusting to a platoon with Colin Moran as the two took turns playing first base and serving as designated hitter. In the 34 games Bell played first, he slashed .274/.338/.492 with eight homers and 17 RBIs. In his 21 games as DH, he batted .129 with no homers and five RBIs.

“When I’d DH in the past, you can always go down and break down the (at-bat), break down how you felt with video,” Bell said. “This year without the video, you’re kind of just waiting on for the next at-bat. That was a little bit different. I can’t make any excuses.”

Tonight, Josh Bell received his 2020 Roberto Clemente Award. #ClementeDay

Vote for Josh: https://t.co/pgRIuYIXyC pic.twitter.com/ZWqLAGWELm

— Pirates (@Pirates) September 9, 2020

The future: Bell is going back to the basics, returning to Texas to work in the garage and backyard with his father. Work ethic has never been an issue for Bell, and he will try to rediscover what made him successful.

“I’m going to go back home, just work my tail off,” Bell said. “This season was a season of taking swings without reviewing in between at-bats. Just trying to prepare myself for that next year because I don’t think anything’s going to change in those regards. Just going to work my tail off on both sides of the ball, swing and field as much as I can, try to put in as much work as I can in the weight room with my dad and, hopefully, come back next year a better player.”

An MLB scout suggested Bell might be best served as a full-time designated hitter, despite his statistics this past season in that role. The scout pointed to the inconsistency of former NL MVP Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers as a sign that 2020 might be an aberration.

“That’s probably his best option. That’s where he provides the best opportunity for a major league club,” the scout said of Bell. “First base is pretty involved, with bunt plays and relays and pickoffs, especially with the over-shifts. There’s no doubt that he works. He’s a tireless worker. He’s constantly trying to perfect his craft defensively. When he’s right, it’s .280-.300 and 30 homers.

“I’m going to give a lot of guys a pass on this season. … Lots of guys with proven track record that just didn’t click this year. Not sure what the answer is, but routine has a lot to do with it.”

The Pirates haven’t given up hope on Bell returning to All-Star form at first, but general manager Ben Cherington made it clear before the trade deadline there were no untouchables. That includes Bell, who was once expected to be the next face of the franchise.

Now, as the Pirates rebuild, Bell could be trade bait.

“You have to keep turning it over until you build a champion,” said MLB analyst Jim Bowden, former general manager of the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals who works for CBS Sports and Sirius XM’s MLB Radio Network and writes for The Athletic. “I love Josh Bell, his makeup, intelligence, ceiling … but if somebody came to the Pirates and said they’d give you two really good prospects for him, you have to do it.”

If the Pirates are going to trade Bell, they would probably prefer to do so when his stock is stronger and the return is greater. Bell, for one, believes he still can fulfill his potential with the Pirates.

“I feel like I’ve shown at times who I can be on a regular basis, and I’m a glass that’s like, the glass is half full,” Bell said. “I feel like in regards to my career and where it can go from here, this season as a whole was such a learning experience for me. There’s one thing you can’t take away from me is that hunger and that desire to be the best player on the field, hit the hardest ball in the game and make the play when it comes to me. That’s what’s driving me.

“I feel like I can be more than a .260, .270 hitter. I definitely want to be a guy that drives in 100 runs every year. In regards to the homers, I know that’ll take care of itself. Just an overall pure hitter, that’s the first thing that I want to aspire to be next year — not necessarily power but pure, you know, line drives to all fields and just being on time on a regular basis. That’s what I strive to do.”