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Chicago Cubs: A breakout showing in Pittsburgh
Entering 2019, I thought Josh Bell would be at the bottom of the rankings of this list by seasons end. Well, he’s actually at the top.
Bell’s .324/.395/.655 slash line entering play Wednesday are all career-highs. His staggering 171 wRC+ is sixth-best in all of Major League Baseball, behind Cody Bellinger, Christian Yelich, George Springer, Mike Trout and Hunter Dozier.
Among all first baseman, he’s second in baseball in batting average, fourth in OBP and second in slugging percentage. There is no doubt at this point in the season, Bell is the best first baseman in the NL Central.
That’s not to say he’ll maintain his torrid start, but this is what the Pirates hoped for when they drafted him in the second round back in 2011. He’s already tied his 2018 home run total (12) just 40 games into the 2019 campaign.