Josh, I Didn’t Hear No Bell
Josh Bell (MIN): 3-5, 2B, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
On the 250th Birthday of the United States of America and the 96th birthday of deceased Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, Josh Bell and the Minnesota Twins played spoiler at Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Twins ambushed the Yankees in the Bronx, scoring five runs off starter Brendan Beck and eventually tacked on six more in an 11-4 victory. A catalyst for the Twins in their seven-run victory was Bell, who is in his first season in Minnesota.
The 33-year-old switch-hitting veteran collected three hits, three RBI, scored two runs, and launched two homers in the Twins’ victory over the Yankees. The home runs were his 12th and 13th of the year. Currently, the former 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates draft pick is hitting .247 with a .738 OPS in 345 plate appearances. It’s nothing earth-shattering, but it’s productive, especially for his age and standards.
The Twins are in a tough place with the Trade Deadline a month away. While they are below .500 at 43-47, they are only 2.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. If Minnesota decides to be sellers at the Deadline, Bell would make a lot of sense for a playoff contender, especially with his switch-hitting ability. On the flip side, if the Twins want to nab a playoff spot, they will need all the hitting they can get. That likely means Bell would stay in the Twin Cities for the remainder of the season.
It’s been an interesting season for the Twins, who were expected to rebuild, but have been better than expected (the polar opposite of the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals, two disappointing teams in the AL Central). Still, do they hold onto Bell, who’s been an unspectacular but consistent bat, or do they trade him while he still has some value?
Twins fans will probably figure that out after the All-Star Break.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Saturday:
Yordan Alvarez (HOU): 3-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 6 RBI.
The Astros slugger continued to add to his AL MVP resume with another big night against the Rays, one of baseball’s hottest teams. In addition to three hits and six RBI, Alvarez hit two home runs, his 28th of the year being a walk-off blast in the bottom of the ninth. For the year, the 29-year-old is hitting .320 with a 1.064 OPS in 385 plate appearances. Yes, he doesn’t offer much defensive value, but it’s hard to ignore the insane hitting numbers he’s putting up in 2026.
Randy Arozarena (SEA): 3-4, 2B, HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, BB.
After being named to another All-Star team on Saturday afternoon, Arozarena responded with a big day at the plate in Seattle’s 11-0 win over the Blue Jays. He had three hits, scored three runs, collected four RBI, and launched his ninth home run of the year. The homers haven’t been as plentiful for Arozarena, especially when compared to last season (27). That said, he’s producing everywhere else, which explains why he was named to his third All-Star team.
Michael Harris II (ATL): 3-5, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI.
Harris missed out on the initial All-Star Game roster (National League outfield is a loaded field), but that didn’t deter him from having a big Saturday night against the rival Mets. The Atlanta outfielder hit his 15th home run of the season and collected three hits, scored three runs, and drove in two runs in their 13-4 win. It’s disappointing to see Harris not make the NL roster for the Midsummer Classic, but he likely will be an alternate if someone bows out.
Junior Caminero (TBR): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, SB.
Death, Taxes, and Caminero home runs. Those are the things we’ve become accustomed to expect right now. On Saturday, he hit his 26th home run of the season, his third in July (and 13th since June 1st), and 10th in 11 games. The Rays’ slugging third baseman will likely be the favorite to win the Home Run Derby in the All-Star Game. Let’s just hope that he doesn’t get the Post-Derby Slump that affects so many Derby champs.
Max Schuemann (NYY): 2-2, HR, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB.
A bright spot for the Yankees in their seven-run loss? It was a nice day for Schuemann, New York’s center fielder, on Saturday. In addition to two hits, two RBI, and two walks, he hit a home run, his second of the year. The 29-year-old outfielder is clearly a No. 2 guy in center field to Trent Grisham, but Scheumann is sporting a .910 OPS thanks to a wild OBP (.423) and strong slugging numbers (.487). Maybe the Yankees have the right-handed Grisham in their midst?
Alec Bohm (PHI): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB.
It hasn’t been a pretty year both on the field (.658 OPS) and off (lawsuit against parents). However, Bohm looked more like his vintage self in Kansas City on Saturday. He had two hits, scored two runs, and launched his 11th home run of the year, matching his 2025 total. It looks like the 29-year-old’s best days are behind him, judging by his paltry barrel rate (20th percentile) and bat speed (27th percentile). Nonetheless, tonight showed he is still capable of big nights.
Otto Lopez (MIA): 2-4, 2B, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Lopez and Sutter Health Field in Sacramento seem like a dream pair for fantasy managers who roster Lopez. That certainly was the case on Saturday, as he collected two hits, three RBI, and hit his eighth home run of the year against the Athletics. With a .340 average and .877 OPS, it’s no surprise that Lopez earned his first career All-Star Game appearance.
Samuel Basallo (BAL): 1-4, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
Fellow catcher Adley Rutschman earned his third All-Star nod on Saturday, but Basallo had the bigger day at the plate, hitting his 14th home run of the year. In terms of batting average, Basallo (.257 average and .792 OPS) holds the slight edge over the Orioles All-Star (.256 average and .782 OPS). Unfortunately, Basallo lags greatly behind Rutschman in catching defense. Once Basallo improves that (or moves more regularly to DH), then the 21-year-old will start to get All-Star invites as well.
Bryce Eldridge (SFG): 2-4, 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI.
The Giants got a rare win on Saturday, even if it came against the last-place Colorado Rockies. One of the bright spots in the victory, and the 2026 season in general, has been the emergence of Eldridge. In the 6-4 win, the 21-year-old outfielder had two hits, two RBI, and launched his seventh home run of the year. In 185 plate appearances this season, he is hitting .280 with an .852 OPS. While questions abound with this San Francisco roster, Eldridge is at least someone this club can depend on in the long term.
