Josh Bell has done it again.
The Pirates first baseman, having a breakout season as one of the top sluggers in baseball, hammered a pitch from Rockies starter Jon Gray out of PNC Park and into the Allegheny River beyond the right-field wall in the second inning.
Josh Bell is the first player ever to hit TWO homers out of PNC Park and into the Allegheny River on the fly! pic.twitter.com/UWbb99NZqo
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) May 22, 2019
It's the second time in two weeks Bell has hit a home run into the river on the fly. He also turned the feat May 8 against the Rangers. Before that, only three players (Daryle Ward, Garrett Jones and Pedro Alvarez), had hit the Allegheny on the fly in PNC Park's 19-year history.
Statcast estimated Bell's home run at 454 feet. It's just the latest tape-measure shot from the player who one anonymous scout infamously dubbed "a big lump" in a preseason preview after he hit only 12 home runs last season. Bell's shot Wednesday is his 15th of the year. He entered the day hitting .325 with an NL-leading 44 RBIs.
Bell has hit two of the four longest home runs this season, that aforementioned shot against the Rockies traveled 474 feet, the second longest home run this season (Rangers outfielder Nomar Mazara has the longest at 482 feet). Bell also has the fourth-longest home run, at 472 feet, and three more over 450 feet.
He's not only hitting balls into the stands and beyond, but with outstanding exit velocity. Bell entered the day third in MLB in average exit velocity (96.5 mph), behind Aaron Judge (99 mph) and Joey Gallo (97.5).
No wonder Pirates fans and broadcasters are now using terms like "Stargell-like" and "Stargellian," comparing Bell's long home runs to Pirates great Willie Stargell. The man affectionately known as "Pops" is the last Pirate to hit more than 40 home runs in a season, with 44 in 1973, but Bell is on pace to surpass that mark.