Bell, 23, is hitting .290/.385/.450 with three home runs and 17 RBI through 26 games for Triple-A Indianapolis.

EDGE Analysis

Bell has not homered over his last 10 games, though he continues to hit for average. In fact, he has not batted under .274 at any level since entering the minors. Still, his upside as a first baseman, or a corner outfielder for that matter, is limited by his inability to hit the ball out of the ballpark.

The Pirates haven't ruled out Bell as an outfield option in the event of an injury to one of their starters, Pirates Prospects reports. "He has the outfield in his back pocket," GM Neal Huntington noted. "We still want to spend all of our time and energy on first base. He is showing signs of getting better, and will give us more options."

EDGE Analysis

Huntington acknowledged that Bell -- despite gaining muscle mass -- is moving more athletically since his 2012 knee injury. He's currently biding his time behind John Jaso at first base and the outfield trio of Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco. Jaso has a history of injury and trips to the DL, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Bell debut at first base in the second half of 2016.

Bell, 22, is batting .310/.380/.420 with three home runs, 46 RBI and five steals through 77 games for Double-A Altoona. Could Bell be the next James Loney? At least in terms of hitting prowess, the comparison fits, as Bell's average and OBP are stellar, but his home run total is lacking. Three home runs for a first baseman simply will not cut it. Bell had nine home runs in 2014. It remains to be seen if his power stroke will eventually come around, or if this is just what Bell will be.

Bell is slashing .344/.414/.469 with one home run and four steals in 187 plate appearances with Double-A Altoona. It is a bit worrisome that the Pirates' first baseman of the future has just one home run in 41 games so far this season, but the overall offensive profile is still extremely positive. He has more walks (21) than strikeouts (15) and his BABIP (.365) leads one to believe that Bell is at least a true-talent .300 hitter in the Eastern League. The ballpark in Altoona is in the bottom 25th percentile in the minors in terms of home runs, so that may help explain Bell's lack of power to this point. There are few hitters in the minors who can match the 22-year-old's approach and hit tool, so even if he only hits 10-20 homers per year in the majors Bell still profiles as a strong fantasy option.