Josh Bell

Bell and the Pirates agreed to a $4.8 million salary for the 2020 season. During the season, which was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bell hit .226 with eight home runs and 22 RBIs.

On May 8, 2019, Bell became the fourth player in PNC Park history to hit a ball directly into the Allegheny River; the ball traveled 472 feet (144 m) with an exit velocity of 114.9 miles per hour (184.9 km/h). Bell was elected to his first MLB All-Star Game on June 30, 2019. At the time of the All-Star Game, Bell was batting .302 with 27 home runs and an MLB-leading 84 RBIs. Bell also participated in the 2019 Home Run Derby where he was eliminated in the first round. Bell struggled in the second half of the season, batting .233 with 10 home runs, to finish the season with a .277 average, 37 home runs, and 116 RBIs.

On February 1, 2017, Bell underwent left knee surgery, but did not go on the disabled list or miss any games. On September 4, Bell broke the National League record for most home runs by a rookie switch hitter, hitting his 24th of the season off of Jake Arrieta, in a 12–0 Pirates' rout of the Chicago Cubs He was one of three finalists for the 2017 Rookie of the Year award along with Cody Bellinger and Paul DeJong, and finished in third place in the balloting. Bell finished the season with a .255 batting average, 26 home runs and 90 RBIs. In 2018, he batted .261 with 12 home runs and 62 RBIs.

Bell began the 2016 season with Indianapolis. After batting .324 with a .407 on-base percentage in 83 games for the Indians, the Pirates promoted Bell to the major leagues on July 8. He made his MLB debut that night as a pinch hitter, and hit a grand slam in his second MLB at-bat on July 9. He was optioned back to Indianapolis on July 16, and recalled once again on August 20. In 128 at-bats for Pittsburgh, Bell batted .273 with three home runs and 19 RBIs.

The Pirates assigned Bell to Altoona to start the 2015 season. He was chosen to represent the Pirates at the 2015 All-Star Futures Game. At the end of July, the Pirates promoted Bell to the Indianapolis Indians of the Class AAA International League. In 96 games for Altoona, he batted .307 with five home runs and 60 RBIs. He batted .347 with two home runs, 18 RBIs, and a .441 on-base percentage in 145 plate appearances with Indianapolis, and the Pirates added Bell to their 40-man roster after the season.

Bell again played for the West Virginia Power in 2013. He batted .279 with 13 home runs, 76 RBIs, and 37 doubles in 119 games. Bell opened the 2014 season with the Bradenton Marauders of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League (FSL), and appeared in the 2014 All-Star Futures Game. After hitting .335 with nine home runs and 35 RBIs for Bradenton in 84 games, the Pirates promoted Bell to the Altoona Curve of the Class AA Eastern League on July 17. In 24 games for Altoona, he batted .287/.343/.309. After the season, he was named the FSL Player of the Year. The Pirates assigned Bell to the Arizona Fall League after the 2014 season, where he played exclusively as a first baseman, due to the Pirates carrying Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, and Gregory Polanco in their major league outfield.

The Pirates assigned Bell to work out with the State College Spikes, but as the season was ending, he did not appear in a game with the Spikes in 2011. Bell participated in the Pirates' fall instructional league. Bell was ranked the 69th best prospect in baseball by MLB.com before the 2012 season. He made his professional debut in 2012 with the West Virginia Power of the Class A South Atlantic League. However, on April 24, 2012, Bell hit what would have been a double, but pulled up limping rounding first base, and was tagged out standing between first and second with an injury. Bell ended up having a partial tear of his meniscus, on the lateral part of the meniscus in his knee. Bell missed almost all of the 2012 minor league season, and was out longer than expected due to swelling in the injured knee.

Drafted by the Pirates in the second round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft out of Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas, Bell received a $5 million signing bonus, a record for a player outside of the first round, to bypass his college baseball scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin. He played in MLB for the Pirates from 2016 through 2020, and was an All-Star in 2019. After the 2020 season, the Pirates traded Bell to the Nationals.

Joshua Evan Bell (born August 14, 1992) is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has also played in MLB for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bell made his MLB debut in 2016.

Josh Bell was born on November 6, 1979 in Anaheim, California, USA as Joshua Daniel Bell.