Imagine if Bell rings up a first 60 games like 2019

Like most people, and even Major League Baseball players, Josh Bell did not have access to a gym throughout most of the country's quarantine phase. The Pirates' slugger's apartment complex has a gym he normally frequents, but they shut it down due to public health protocols.

He didn't have the same weights or machines to work with, but the complex does have a stairwell.

"We've got 10 stories in my place, so throw on a weight jacket, some ankle weights, do some stairs," Bell said, describing his shutdown workouts during a Zoom call Saturday.

Taking the stairs and kettle bell swings were a big portion of Bell's shutdown workouts to prepare for the upcoming 60-game season.

That shortened length of the season is going to be the big sticking point throughout this year. Derek Shelton has described it as a "sprint." If a player or team gets hot, it will look a lot different than over a full 162-game campaign.

And for those who need a refresher, last year, there were very few hitters in all of baseball who were in the same realm as Bell through 60 games.

"I'll take those 60 games from last year like right now if we can sign up for that," Shelton joked during a Zoom call Saturday.

The only people who might object to that are National League Central pitchers.

Kidding aside, it is hard to overstate what Bell and his bat meant to the Pirates last year. Their pitching staff was decimated by injuries early, but they still had a 29-31 record and were hanging around through the first 60 games. Bell was the main reason, slashing .330/.393/.678 with 18 home runs at that point and leading all of baseball with 54 RBIs and 22 doubles. He was the NL's player of the month in May, capping one of the most torrid stretches any Pirates batter had ever had.

However, he cooled off from there. Over the Pirates' next 60 games, his batting average dipped nearly 100 points to .234. While his 13 home runs and .834 OPS were still good, they were no longer great. And while the Pirates were able to hover around .500 and be in the mix in the Central up until the All-Star break, once Bell started to really slump after the break, the wheels fell off the club and they were not able to recover.

Although the lineup still features Bryan Reynolds, Kevin Newman and a healthy Gregory Polanco, Bell's remains the big bat. If he plays like these 60 games like he did over those first 60 last year, and the team's pitching improves, the Pirates might just have a chance. If he doesn't, their hopes take a massive hit.

Bell tried to downplay those scenarios when asked Saturday, instead opting to talk about the team as a whole.

"I think we all understand the gravity of each and every game, each and every pitch and for me, each and every at-bat," Bell said. "Each and every last one is going to be important."

Shelton was a little more direct with his answer.

"I'm really excited where Josh Bell's at," Shelton said. "I'm really excited where he's at, not only on the field, but off the field and the way he's continuing to grow as a leader on our club."

Shelton mentioned that he saw the things Bell and hitting coach Rick Eckstein worked on during spring training carry over from Bradenton, Fla. To him, it was clear Bell worked on those points during the shutdown.

"Some of the things they were isolating on, I think he's got," Shelton said.

The main thing Bell isolated on this offseason wasn't at the plate but, rather, a new sidearm throwing motion from first base. He wanted to have a lower release point, feeling it could work better with his 6-foot-4-inch, 250 pound frame.

Last year, Bell made five throwing errors, second-most among National League first basemen. In his mind, a lower release will lead to more accurate throws, so he continued to work on his new motion during the shutdown by playing catch with his girlfriend.

"From this past break that we had, the second offseason, if you will, I dropped even lower," Bell said. "I feel like I’m closer to the release point as I catch the ball itself. My catch and funnel and release for the throw is a lot quicker, a lot more repeatable."

That could help his defense, assuming that he plays in the field often enough.

The National League will be using the designated hitter for the first time in 2020 as part of the league's health and safety protocols. Bell would appear to be a candidate to slide into that role because his glove hurts his value. But Shelton does not plan to use just one DH, instead planning to rotate who gets the day off from the field to manage workloads. That could be good news for Bell, who only broke out of his post-All Star break slump last year after he got to rest a couple days. Until that point, Bell was among the league leaders in games played and plate appearances, leading many to feel he was simply overworked.

He then had his season cut short in September due to a groin injury. And he wasn't the only one in that category.

"A lot of guys didn’t finish the season last year. We were all kind of banged up," Bell said. "Coming into this year, I think a lot more guys are going to get blows at the DH spot. A lot more guys are going to come back fresh after that, so I’m excited to see how the bats play."

While the DH could be a way to manage his workload and help him stay fresh, Bell said he still views himself as a first baseman. That's why he worked on the new motion. In Bradenton, he talked about how sweet that first 3-6-3 double play is going to feel. The fire to pull that off is still there.

"I'm working my tail off every day," Bell said. "I've gotten some feedback from teammates, I've got some feedback from coaches saying you're right on path of where you want to be. So as of right now, I view myself as a first baseman every day. I'm going to try and keep it like that. I'm going to do my best to work my tail off over there and make sure Shelton has confidence to put me in the lineup there every day. But it's really up to him. That's above my pay grade."

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