About Bell and Johnson
Josh Bell is a switch-hitting third baseman, who is 22 years old.
He is currently batting .296-11-52 with Double-A Chatanooga and has 30 doubles in 94 games. He goes 6'3", 235 pounds. He has an on base percentage of .386 and a slugging percentage of .497.
This year he is hitting .212 vs. LHP and .335 vs. RHP.
Bell was a fourth-round draft pick by the Dodgers in 2005. He is from Lantana, Florida.
Power is one of his best tools and some scouts rated his power as 70 on the 20-80 scale. On defense he is said to have a strong arm but his range is not great.
Steve Johnson is a 21-year-old right-hander from Baltimore and the son of O's radio and TV broadcaster Dave Johnson. Steve was just recently promoted to Double-A Chananooga and pitched six shutout innings with seven strikeouts last Monday night. In two Double-A starts, he is 1-1, 1.69.
Earlier, in the California League at Inland Empire, he went 8-4, 3.82 in 16 starts with 102 strikeouts in 96 2/3 innings.
This is an emotional day for our friend Dave Johnson, who found out moments ago on the Orioles radio postgame show that his son might be joining this organization. Host Tom Davis broke the news to Dave and it was an emotional time for a proud father. Dave was at the game on Monday looking on as Steve pitched six shutout innings.
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Categories (click for archive)Orioles News | Steve Melewski |
I hope McPhail doesn't think this means he is done. He still needs to trade 1 or 2 more guys before the deadline for this to have been a successful trade deadline for the O's...
Copngratulations Dave! Can't wait to see and hear you on Sat. morning on MASN. Goosebumps!
Steve,
Baseball Cube lists Bell @ 205 lbs and another web site discussing Dodgers prospects indicates Bell has a "weight problem".
Are you hearing anything along these lines? Thirty pounds seems like a big weight gain for an athlete in his early 20s. Additionally; 235 is a lot to carry on a 6'3" frame.
Jim Carter
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All I hear is he is in that 230 range. - Steve
Steve,
how does bRANOND Waring measure up to bell. Seems like waring has more power. (2 twenty homer seasons and 17 this year-albeit single a.)
Thanks
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Not sure how to compare the two. I would say Bell is ahead in the pecking order because he is going to Double-A. And they just traded a valuable player for him.
Steve
Steve I read that Bell was around 235 last season, hurt his knee and took it upon himself to drop 30 pounds. No idea how accurate the report was but it does jive with the baseball cube figure.
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In an interview tonight, Bell said he lost weight before last season and is playing right now at 220 pounds. He did hurt his knee last year but the O's say he has a clean bill of health on the knee now. - Steve
Steve-
It concerns me that Bell has limited range and has already made 17 errors this season.
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I have heard, not sure if its correct, that most of the errors came on throws this year. This is a high total, but the O's feel he can play third. Third base is not a big range position, so lateral movement is not as critical there. - Steve