Josh Bell vs Jack Flaherty

The Almanac's Take

Bell bats from the left side against Flaherty here, giving him the platoon edge that matters most at this sample size. The season read does most of the work: Flaherty carries a 4.88 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, and a troubling 5.1 BB/9 through 48 innings, and Bell's .293 OBP understates how often he gets on against struggling right-handers. The H2H is 37 PA — small but not nothing — and Bell's .294 average with 2 HR and an 88.7 mph average exit velo there is worth a footnote, not a headline. Flaherty leans heavily on his four-seamer (44.2%), and Bell's switch-hitting profile from the left side sets that up reasonably well.

Career head-to-head

AVG

.294

10-for-34

PA

37

HR

2

K

7

BB

3

Pitches seen

138

Avg exit velo

88.7 mph

Career meetings in the Statcast era (2015–present). Even a clear edge over a handful of plate appearances is a small sample — read it as color, not a projection.

Pitch mix to the batter

Plate-appearance log

• 2026-04-09Single · Knuckle Curve 78.8 mph · 74.2 mph EV
• 2026-04-09Home Run · Slider 85.0 mph · 106.0 mph EV
• 2026-04-09Single · 4-Seam Fastball 89.9 mph · 97.2 mph EV
• 2025-07-02Single · 4-Seam Fastball 94.5 mph · 107.7 mph EV
• 2025-07-02Single · 4-Seam Fastball 92.9 mph · 102.0 mph EV
• 2024-09-02Walk · 4-Seam Fastball 95.4 mph
• 2024-09-02Strikeout · 4-Seam Fastball 94.5 mph
• 2024-09-02Strikeout · 4-Seam Fastball 93.5 mph
• 2023-05-27Field Out · Knuckle Curve 73.4 mph · 70.7 mph EV
• 2023-05-27Field Out · Changeup 84.5 mph · 84.7 mph EV
• 2023-05-27Field Out · 4-Seam Fastball 92.9 mph · 70.4 mph EV
• 2022-09-22Field Out · Slider 84.1 mph · 95.3 mph EV
• 2022-09-22Field Out · Slider 82.6 mph · 79.8 mph EV
• 2022-09-22Walk · 4-Seam Fastball 94.6 mph
• 2021-04-19Field Error · 4-Seam Fastball 94.1 mph · 107.8 mph EV
• 2021-04-19Double · 4-Seam Fastball 93.9 mph · 109.7 mph EV
• 2021-04-19Field Out · 4-Seam Fastball 94.1 mph · 105.3 mph EV
• 2021-04-13Strikeout · 4-Seam Fastball 94.2 mph
• 2021-04-13Field Error · Slider 81.8 mph · 72.9 mph EV
• 2020-09-20Strikeout · 4-Seam Fastball 94.0 mph
• 2020-09-20Strikeout · Slider 83.4 mph
• 2020-07-24Single · Slider 85.3 mph · 77.6 mph EV
• 2020-07-24Field Out · Slider 84.4 mph · 76.7 mph EV
• 2020-07-24Field Out · 4-Seam Fastball 94.5 mph · 83.1 mph EV
• 2019-07-16Field Out · 4-Seam Fastball 92.3 mph · 97.7 mph EV
• 2019-07-16Field Out · Slider 83.0 mph · 80.0 mph EV
• 2019-07-16Strikeout · 4-Seam Fastball 96.0 mph
• 2018-08-28Double · 4-Seam Fastball 93.9 mph · 105.0 mph EV
• 2018-08-28Field Out · 4-Seam Fastball 94.4 mph · 69.0 mph EV
• 2018-05-31Home Run · Slider 82.9 mph · 103.6 mph EV
• 2018-05-31Field Out · Slider 83.3 mph · 82.7 mph EV
• 2018-05-31Strikeout · Slider 84.1 mph
• 2018-05-26Double · Sinker 93.9 mph · 102.6 mph EV
• 2018-05-26Field Out · Sinker 92.2 mph · 60.4 mph EV
• 2018-05-26Field Out · Sinker 92.0 mph · 76.7 mph EV
• 2018-04-28Grounded Into Double Play · 4-Seam Fastball 90.6 mph · 94.9 mph EV
• 2018-04-28Walk · Slider 84.5 mph