Josh Bell’s Barrel% is up (14.7% this season, from 8.6% in 2020’s 60-game campaign). Bell’s average exit velocity is up (at 92.6 MPH, from 91.7 last year), and his Hard Hit% (52.9%) is up from any year in his six major league seasons. So when his coaches are telling him to stick with what he’s doing and trust the process even though the results haven’t been there early this season, should he take solace in stats like the ones listed above?
“Back when I was playing, I would have probably looked at the guy and said, ‘Hey, does that equal a hit or an out?