Washington Nationals Slugger Reveals Most Important Aspect of Succeeding in New Role

A Washington Nationals slugger shared how he is going to adapt and find success in his new role in 2025.

May 30, 2022; New York City, New York, USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell (19) hits a two-RBI single in the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals had a few clear goals coming into the offseason. Two of them, upgrading at first base and infusing some power into the lineup, accomplished with two strong additions.

The first was acquiring Nathaniel Lowe from the Texas Rangers in a trade. Relief pitcher Robert Garcia was sent out in the one-for-one swap.

A legitimate two-way player, Lowe already has a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award on his resume. But, he wasn’t the only acquisition the team had.

In free agency, they doubled down at the position, signing former fan favorite Josh Bell to a one-year, $6 million deal. However, things are going to be different for him in his second go-round with the squad.

Last time, he handled first base duties full-time. It is something he has done throughout his career, but in 2025, he is going to be handling the designated hitter’s role primarily.

Now able to focus solely on his hitting, it is an opportunity that Bell is excited for. The switch-hitter knows that he was brought in to add a power element to the lineup and he will be looking to provide that.

He is confident that being able to put all of his energy and effort into one aspect of the game will result in stellar production. A lofty goal has been set for the upcoming year, as he wants to set a new single-season high in slugging; his previous best was .569 with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019 when he hit 37 home runs and was an All-Star.

How will he go about achieving that goal?

Bell revealed that getting into a routine as early as possible will be key to reaching his potential.

“If I can find that routine that works in spring training, and carry it over into the season, hopefully I don’t have to make any tweaks,” he said, via Mark Zuckerman of Masn. “Hopefully I can continue to build on this routine. And if the slug’s there, I won’t have to change anything.”

The Nationals made it clear what the expectations of Bell were when they signed him. They have lacked power hitting, ranking near the bottom of the league in home runs in each of the last two seasons.

There is hope that the young players on the team, such as shortstop CJ Abrams and left fielder James Wood can develop into 30+ home run per year threats, but they aren’t at that level just yet.

Bell has that kind of potential and put up stellar power numbers in his first stint with the franchise. If he can regain that form, something he is confident he will be able to do as a full-time DH, this will be a deal both parties benefit from greatly.