The baseball player who told the MLB not to draft him
In short: In 2011, Josh Bell was the nation's top corner outfielder prospect. Yet, he sent a formal letter to the Commissioner of Baseball's office demanding they leave him alone. He didn't want a professional contract; he wanted a college scholarship. His gamble on his own path eventually reshaped his career.
Bell's refusal to sign in 2011 was a calculated move to protect his commitment to the University of Texas at Austin. Despite being rated as the top available corner outfielder by Baseball America, he explicitly instructed teams not to select him because he intended to follow through with his scholarship. However, the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted him anyway in the second round (61st overall). To bridge the gap between his collegiate goals and professional interests, Bell took twelve credits at Texas and worked with their strength coach during the summer of 2011 before eventually signing a record-breaking $5 million bonus for a second-round pick.
His professional journey was marked by early physical adversity. During his 2012 debut with the West Virginia Power, a botched play resulted in a partial tear of his knee meniscus. This injury sidelined him for nearly the entire season. He eventually returned to the majors in 2016, making a memorable debut with the Pirates by hitting a grand slam in his second at-bat. He emerged as a premier slugger by 2017, securing 24 home runs to set a new National League rookie switch-hitter mark and placing third in the Rookie of the Year polls.
Bell's career has since been defined by high-profile trades and unique feats. In 2019, he achieved a first for any MLB athlete by launching two home runs straight into the Allegheny River. Since 2020, he has moved through six different franchises, including the Nationals, Padres, Guardians, Marlins, and Diamondbacks, before returning to the Nationals in 2025. While playing for Washington for a second time, he entered a prestigious group of legends by clearing the fences from both sides of the plate during one match.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Josh Bell (first baseman)
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