Josh Bell Fantasy Stats

Minnesota Twins first baseman/designated hitter Josh Bell has been a pleasant surprise for fantasy in the early going of 2026. The veteran is slashing .275/.397/.529 with three home runs, 12 RBI, and 14 runs scored, good for a .410 wOBA and 165 wRC+. The 6-foot-3 slugger is typically good for around 20 home runs per season, belting 22 in 2025, but is on pace for over 100 RBI and 100 runs scored, totals he hasn't come close to since his 2019 campaign with the Pirates. His strikeout rate is higher than we've ever seen it (27.0 percent), but he's also posting a career-high walk rate thus far (15.9 percent). There may be some regression, but as long as he's hitting in the middle of the Twins lineup, there should be plenty of opportunities to keep stacking the RBIs and scoring runs. The 33-year-old is available in over 60 percent of leagues, but that number should probably be higher. Also, for DFS players, the switch-hitter has produced a .470 wOBA and 207 wRC+ as a left-handed hitter compared to a .343 wOBA and 135 wRC+ from the right side, so make sure to fire him up against right-handed pitchers.

Free-agent first baseman Josh Bell agreed to an undisclosed one-year deal that includes a mutual option for 2027 with the Minnesota Twins on Monday, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. The 33-year-old switch-hitter will play first base and designated hitter for the Twins next season. This is the first big-league signing of the offseason for the rebuilding Twins. Barring more offseason moves, Bell should see the majority of playing time in Minnesota in 2026 after slashing .237/.325/.417 with 22 home runs, 63 RBI, and 54 runs scored in 140 games with the Washington Nationals. The 6-foot-3, 261-pounder still brings some pop from both sides of the plate, but he has only reached the 30-homer mark once (back in 2019 with the Pittsburgh Pirates), and he doesn't contribute really anywhere else for fantasy managers. Bell will be corner-infield depth in fantasy leagues in 2026 in his first year with the Twins. UPDATE: Bell's one-year deal is worth $7 million.

Washington Nationals first baseman/designated hitter Josh Bell will start Wednesday's series finale against the San Diego Padres on the bench at Petco Park. James Wood will serve as the DH and hit second, with Alex Call starting in left field and batting sixth against Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta. Bell still has plenty of pop, but his long swing causes a lot of swing and miss, and he's hitting just .194 (46-for-237) on the year with 10 home runs, 28 RBI and 23 runs scored. The 32-year-old switch-hitter has been slightly better in June, going 15-for-68 (.221) with a homer, three doubles, six RBI, four runs scored, four walks and six strikeouts in 19 games played. Wood is a must-start in normal fantasy leagues every time he's in the lineup. Call, who has been the odd man out in right field due to rookie Daylen Lile's presence, will make his first start since last Friday.

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz, designated hitter Josh Bell and second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. are all out of the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the visiting Colorado Rockies with a left-hander on the mound. Riley Adams is doing the catching and hitting seventh, James Wood is the DH and is batting second, and Amed Rosario is at the keystone and in the five-hole versus rookie lefty Carson Palmquist. Andres Chaparro is manning first base and batting cleanup. Ruiz actually has reverse splits against lefties in 2025 with a .298 average (14-for-47) with one of his two home runs, but he has been sitting more frequently of late against lefty pitchers. Even though there's a lefty on the mound, Wood is an intriguing DFS play against the rookie southpaw. He's hitting .272 (25-for-92) with five of his 17 homers against lefties on the year.

Washington Nationals first baseman/designated hitter Josh Bell, catcher Keibert Ruiz and second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. are all sitting for Friday's game in D.C. against the visiting Texas Rangers. Outfielder Alex Call is serving as the designated hitter and is batting fifth, Riley Adams is doing the catching and hitting sixth, and Nasim Nunez is starting at the keystone and in the nine-hole of the batting order against Rangers left-hander Patrick Corbin. Nathaniel Lowe is starting at first base and batting cleanup for the Nats. While Ruiz is a switch-hitter, both Bell and Garcia bat from the left side and will get the day off against the left-handed pitcher. Call, Adams and Nunez have never faced Corbin before in their careers. Call has hit over .300 in 48 plate appearances versus southpaws this year, but he's still searching for his first homer.

Washington Nationals designated hitter Josh Bell went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run in Thursday's 9-3 win over the Seattle Mariners. He also singled. The Nats and Mariners took a 2-2 tie into the top of the tenth inning when Washington would drop seven runs. Bell capped it with a three-run bomb off Seattle reliever Collin Snider that traveled 386 feet. That marks back-to-back outings with a homer for the veteran and back-to-back multi-hit efforts. Those are both feats he'd yet to accomplish in 2025, and he's been better overall in May, sporting a .233 average with four homers, one double, six RBI, and six runs scored (14-for-60).

Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell is not in the starting lineup on Saturday when they continue a series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Bell was dealing with a groin injury earlier in the week. He was able to start on Friday but went 0-for-3 at the plate with a strikeout. As a result, James Wood will shift to the DH spot, which opens left field for Alex Call. The veteran first baseman has had a slow start to the campaign. Through his first 32 contests, Bell has posted a modest .130/.219/.278 slash line with five home runs. Under the hood, the switch-hitter has generated a low .285 xwOBA and a .204 xBA, which are both well below the average marks. This afternoon, the Nationals are worth a look in DFS, facing St. Louis right-hander Andre Pallante, who enters this game holding a 4.75 ERA.

Washington Nationals first baseman/designated hitter Josh Bell (groin) is serving as the DH and is batting cleanup for Game 2 of the team's doubleheader on Tuesday against the visiting Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Ben Lively. This will be the first time that Bell has played since injuring his groin last Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds. The 32-year-old veteran left-handed slugger still has lots of raw power from the left side, but he's been extremely inconsistent so far in 2025 and is typically all or nothing. Bell is hitting .139 (15-for-108) on the season with five home runs, 14 RBI and 12 runs scored in his first 30 games this year. In his last five games, Bell has gone 3-for-19 with a home run. Despite all his swing and miss, Bell has averaged 21 home runs over the last four years.

Washington Nationals first baseman/designated hitter Josh Bell (groin) will not start in Game 1 of the team's doubleheader on Tuesday against the visiting Cleveland Guardians. Bell will miss another game after injuring his groin last Friday. It's unclear if he'll be ready to return for Game 2 on Tuesday against Guardians right-hander Ben Lively. Outfielder James Wood is the DH and is batting third, while Alex Call starts in left field and hits second in Game 1 against Cleveland right-hander Luis L. Ortiz. Bell, who has typically been an all-or-nothing hitter at the plate, is batting just .139 (15-for-108) on the year with five home runs, 14 RBI and 12 runs scored in 30 games played. He has 27 strikeouts and 12 walks in his 121 plate appearances. Wood has one hit in just three career at-bats versus Ortiz, while Call has never faced the Guardians pitcher.

Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell (groin) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. The switch-hitting slugger was pulled out of Friday's contest due to a groin issue. As a result, Bell will take a seat on Saturday as well, but he's not expected to be placed on the injured list. The Nats are just going to be cautious and give him a little time to rest and recover. In his absence, James Wood will serve as the designated hitter while Alex Call moves into the outfield on Saturday.