Josh Bell Can Benefit From More Early Aggression

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell’s aggression at the plate could swing the club’s offense one way or the other.

Okay, perhaps that is a little outlandish to utter in a lineup that includes bats such as Gregory Polanco, Starling Marte and Francisco Cervelli. But the simple fact is that Bell will be counted on to get closer to his 2017 output while maintaining the plate discipline that has become his hallmark.

Those are impressive numbers, yet Bell’s overall season in 2018 might have been limited by his dogmatic approach at the plate. Bell swung at fastballs early in the count (defined here as all fastball types seen at 0-0, 1-0, and 0-1 counts) at…