Josh Bell, who is having a breakout season in Bradenton this year, will be promoted to Altoona. This is according to his teammate, Barrett Barnes.
https://twitter.com/b_barnes1991/status/488876136324415489
Bell just participated in the Future’s Game yesterday, then returned to play with the Marauders tonight. He went 2-for-4 with a triple, and drive in the eventual winning run tonight, prior to the promotion. Bell had a .333/.380/.495 line in 327 at-bats in high-A, before tonight’s game. He struggled early in the year against lefties, but has turned that around, and now has an .859 OPS against left-handers on the season.
The jump to Altoona will be a good challenge for Bell’s bat. It could also propel him up the prospect ranks. He was rated a top 50 prospect by both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus. The jump to Double-A is the most difficult for a hitter, and if he continues this hitting at the higher level, it will lower the risk involved with projecting him to the majors, and raise his stock.