The Pirates Prospects 2017 Prospect Guide is now available for pre-sales. The book will be released the week before Spring Training, and we are currently in the process of making the final changes with editing and formatting.
The book features prospect reports on everyone in the system, the 2017 top 50 prospects, and the most comprehensive coverage of the Pirates’ farm system that you can find. Subscribers to the site get discounted books, with Top Prospect subscribers getting $10 off, and Annual subscribers getting $5 off. The eBook will be released when the book is released, and will also come with discounts. Details on the promotions can be found on the products page, and you can subscribe to the site or upgrade your current plan on the subscriptions page.
While the top 50 prospects are exclusive to the book, we will be releasing the top 20 prospects over the next few weeks as a countdown to the start of Spring Training, and to give a preview of the release of the book. We will be wrapping up on Monday, February 13th. The reports will only be available to site subscribers, including those with a monthly plan. You can subscribe here, and if you like these reports, be sure to purchase your copy of the book on the products page of the site to get much more analysis on every player in the system.
To recap the countdown so far:
20. Alen Hanson, 2B
17. Elias Diaz, C
16. Max Kranick, RHP
13. Clay Holmes, RHP
10. Gage Hinsz, RHP
We continue the countdown with the number 4 prospect, Josh Bell.
4. Josh Bell, 1B
For most of September, it didn’t look like Josh Bell would even be in this book. Our cutoff for eligibility is 130 at-bats, and Bell would have hit that, except he didn’t play on the final day of the season. That makes him prospect and Rookie of the Year eligible in 2017, with the starting first base job already locked up. Bell isn’t really a prospect like most in this book, since he’s much closer to his upside, with little to work on.
The biggest thing to work on is his defense at first. He’s had a tough transition from the outfield two years ago, and hasn’t handled it well, with negative defensive value taking away from his positive offensive value. He is focusing on yoga and slimming down to be more agile and make more plays. He had minor knee surgery in February, and the concern there is that it continues a history of knee issues, also in 2012 and 2014.
The offense has taken some big strides in the last two years. Bell has gradually adjusted his swing from both sides, and now is a lot smoother from the right side, while incorporating his lower half more from both sides. The result is that he’s starting to tap into his power potential, with the ability to hit 25+ homers per year in the future. That, combined with his plus strike zone control, means we haven’t come close to seeing his offensive upside. The defense will take some value away, but Bell will hit enough to still provide value.
The big question for the 2017 season is how the scales tip between the offensive improvements and the defensive struggles. Bell might improve his defense, but it’s doubtful he will see big changes overnight. If he doesn’t add enough offense, he could be average overall, at best. Long-term, he projects as an above-average first baseman, with a lot of impact from his bat, and hopefully close to neutral defensive value.
Click Here to Purchase the Pirates Prospects 2017 Prospect Guide
