Number Four Prospect: 3B - Josh Bell

[Tony-OH]

http://www.orioleshangout.com/article.asp?ID=2323

Bell brings plus power and the ability to play third base, but a major question mark hangs over his inability to hit left-handers from the right side of the plate.

[Crazysilver03]

Tony,

Both Bell and Snyder are listed at #5 on the website.

Great write-up!

[Moose Milligan]

Hopefully he can learn how to hit lefties decently.

[Sports Guy]

Tony...Have you heard any talk of him stopping switch hitting?

[Scrat1]

ARGH, my first miss. I went with Arrieta as fourth.

[Moose Milligan]

Tony...Have you heard any talk of him stopping switch hitting?

Think he can hit lefties from the left side?

Tony, is it a safe bet we'll see him in Baltimore in 2010?

[Arthur_Bryant]

Tony...Have you heard any talk of him stopping switch hitting?

This may have been posted elsewhere already, but Roch quotes Stockstill specifically on this last week:

"Our people who saw him liked him very much the way he was. We don't have any thought at the moment of making a drastic change. We'll continue to work with him. He's a very good athlete. He's a good hitter with a lot of power. And it's such an advantage to be a switch-hitter that we don't want to take that away from him right now."

http://masnsports.com/2009/10/for-whom-the-bell-toils.html

[Tony-OH]

This may have been posted elsewhere already, but Roch quotes Stockstill specifically on this last week:

"Our people who saw him liked him very much the way he was. We don't have any thought at the moment of making a drastic change. We'll continue to work with him. He's a very good athlete. He's a good hitter with a lot of power. And it's such an advantage to be a switch-hitter that we don't want to take that away from him right now."

http://masnsports.com/2009/10/for-whom-the-bell-toils.html

Must of been different people that I talked to. The numbers in this case speak for themselves. He's regressed from the right-side of the plate as he's moved up the ladder and it's gotten to the point that something drastic needs to be done. He really just has never had much power from the right-side of the plate.

Either way, it's not surprising that Stockstill would stick with the status quo. It's not his M.O. to make any decision that could create waves of any type.

Perhaps Crowley can do something with him from that side of the plate?

[Tony-OH]

Think he can hit lefties from the left side?

Tony, is it a safe bet we'll see him in Baltimore in 2010?

I think that's the million dollar question. In my mind, you have nothing to lose because he's regressed from the right side of the plate and has never had power from that side. He's such a good hitter from the left side of the plate I don't see why he couldn't give it a shot.

[Moose Milligan]

I think that's the million dollar question. In my mind, you have nothing to lose because he's regressed from the right side of the plate and has never had power from that side. He's such a good hitter from the left side of the plate I don't see why he couldn't give it a shot.

If thats the case, makes you wonder why he's started switch hitting in the first place. It's not like he's playing a corner outfield spot or 1B where it might be harder to get to the majors. He's playing third and any team would love to have a slugging third baseman like that, switch hitter or not.

[Arthur_Bryant]

Must of been different people that I talked to. The numbers in this case speak for themselves. He's regressed from the right-side of the plate as he's moved up the ladder and it's gotten to the point that something drastic needs to be done. He really just has never had much power from the right-side of the plate.

Either way, it's not surprising that Stockstill would stick with the status quo. It's not his M.O. to make any decision that could create waves of any type.

Perhaps Crowley can do something with him from that side of the plate?

Yeah, the numbers are pretty dismal this year, though not in a large sample.

It's odd that Bell's "natural" side is presumably as a RH hitter, since he throws right. A few kids get started switching so early that there is no natural advantage, but most RH throwers have many more lifetime reps from the RH side.

[Arthur_Bryant]

If thats the case, makes you wonder why he's started switch hitting in the first place. It's not like he's playing a corner outfield spot or 1B where it might be harder to get to the majors. He's playing third and any team would love to have a slugging third baseman like that, switch hitter or not.

Are you sure that he started hitting lefty? That would be unusual for a RH thrower, though not unique in my experience.

[Moose Milligan]

Are you sure that he started hitting lefty? That would be unusual for a RH thrower, though not unique in my experience.

Good call, I'm not exactly sure but I'm just assuming things...but you know what happens when you assume...

But if he can't do it by AA, I don't think there's a reason to continue...

[NCRaven]

The only problem with switching (or is it un-switching) him to a full-time lefty is that it's up to Josh Bell, and only Josh Bell, to make it work. He's got to want to do it and ultimately it's going to be his decision.

[Os_Watcher]

I am somewhat suprised he is at #4... I am guessing Tony-OH is somewhat down on him though it seems to me that we knew all along that 2010 was a AAA assignment for Bell with a shot at being called to the majors late.

It's easy to forget he wasn't in the Orioles organization for long in 09 and that his ceiling hasn't dropped any. Personally I thought he was #3. As for switch hitting... isn't that a career long adjustment from start to finish even for the greatest switch hitters?

I am gonna watch, wait and see. He still figures to be an important part of the puzzle.