Baseball Prospectus | | Eyewitness Scouting Report


	Josh Bell Born: 08/14/1992 (Age: 21)
	Bats: Switch	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 4"	Weight: 255
	Primary Position: RF
	Secondary Position: DH

Built like a truck; big broad shoulders; thick legs; upper-body strength for days; mass limits flexibility and athleticism; stiff and sluggish movements on the bases and in the field. Had a left knee injury in 2012.

Evaluator	Chris King
Report Date	06/04/2014
Dates Seen	4/30/2014, 5/21-5/23/2014
Affiliate	Bradenton Marauders (High A, Pirates)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Video
2016	Medium	60	No

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	50	Ultra-aggressive; consistently jumps on first pitch fastball; open stance with high hands; lots of pre-swing movement; swing gets long with an uppercut angle; bat speed is a tick above-average; similar setup and stance from both sides; swing is a little more level from the left side; struggles recognizing spin; lunges over the plate when pitched away; pulls head and rolls over; has timing concerns from the right side; very beatable inside; struggles to pull hands in; very defensive approach when he gets in deep counts.
Power	60	Can hit the ball out to all fields from both sides; BP power for days; game action power still strong, but disappears at times; struggled to barrel the ball; relies a lot on natural strength; would benefit from using lower-half more; lots of arm and wrist strength can mask his lack of lower-half usage.
Baserunning/Speed	45	Fringe-average runner; consistently in the 4.3-4.4 range home to first; take a few steps before he gets going; needs to work on his first step; good instincts on the bases; shown the feel to take an extra base without being reckless.
Glove	50	Struggles with initial reads off the bat; routes to the ball are inconsistent; gets the ball in quickly and always throws to the correct spot; gets timid when drifting back; looks unsure of his feet when tracking the ball; movement is the outfield is stiff.
Arm	60	His second best tool; keeps throws on a line with little to no arc; quick release with solid accuracy across the diamond; not too aggressive, but shows it enough to make runners hesitant to test it.

Bell has the body of a present major leaguer. He's physically mature switch hitter that looks like a man amongst boys. While the power will play for a corner OF spot, his swing is inconsistent. He preys on average velocity fastballs and I really question how he'll handle plus velocity and fastball command as he advances.

Defensively he's passable in RF. He's got plenty of arm, but lacks natural feel and instincts. Just doesn't look comfortable at times. Average speed at best limits his range when chasing balls driven into the gap, though getting the ball back quickly and accurately is a strength. A move to first base in the future wouldn't shock me.

Bell is a future major leaguer with two plus tools, but I really have concerns about his production in the middle of a lineup. A spot in the lower-half seems more realistic.