The only problem is that his production has been awfully lopsided.

Entering Sunday’s action, Bell has amassed 483 plate appearances in 112 games played. If we look at his season-long numbers since he became an every-day player in 2017, basically everything is either a new career high or on track to be. The slugger is slashing a very healthy-looking .280/.364/.574 with 27 home runs, 89 RBI, 78 runs scored, 36 doubles, a 137 wRC+, and 2.1 fWAR.

If we split his campaign and look at it prior to and after the All-Star break, it doesn’t look nearly as wonderful, 

As Bell approached the All-Star break and prepared for his first appearance in the midsummer classic, he had already set a new single-season career high in homers. The only question at that point was how much further he’d go. Getting to the 30-dinger plateau seemed like a formality (and it probably still is), but after going homer-less for more than a month, he’d probably feel more relieved about getting there than anything else.

Of course, it doesn’t help that the Pirates have completely fallen out of contention during this time. Despite entering the break at 44-45, they were at least in the National League wild-card conversation. However, a 4-23 stretch to start the second half ruined any hopes of making a run.

So what’s been going on with Pittsburgh’s most feared slugger (in the first half, at least)?

IMPROVED PLATE DISCIPLINE

When a hitter goes through this kind of power outage, one would expect them to be trying to do too much, which would in turn sacrifice some plate discipline.

That hasn’t happened with Bell, though. In fact, the numbers tell us his approach at the plate has actually improved a bit. Here’s a quick peek at how his walk rate, strikeout rate, and swing rates have progressed from one half to the next.

It’s at least comforting that Bell’s plate approach hasn’t changed much. While it’d obviously be better for his swing rate on strikes to increase, it’s nice to see the chase rate take a dip, which corresponds with a rise in walk rate. He’s even decreased his swinging-strike rate from 11.8% to 10.4%.

DECLINING BATTED-BALL PROFILE

With his approach against opposing hurlers looking sound, it appears as if there’s a lack of execution going on. This can be seen in the results of his batted-ball profile from before and after the All-Star break.

What’s crazy, though, is that Bell’s splits don’t look all that different (outside of the quality-of-contact numbers). In fact, they look almost identical.

Having such a dramatic drop in hard-hit rate would likely lead to worse results, but it still seems as if it’d be good enough to get by.

The key here is what’s not actually pictured — his infield-fly rate. Prior to the All-Star break, Bell’s infield-fly rate was just 2.1%. Since the midsummer respite, it’s all the way up at 14.3%. This helps explain the drop in power, along with the drop in hard-hit rate.

The pitch mix Bell has seen between these two time periods haven’t been drastically different, but one thing that is slightly different is the percentage of balls he’s seeing in the strike zone. After seeing a 37.7% zone rate produced against him in the first half, that number has continued to drop (albeit not by much) down to 35.5% in the second half. His season-long 37.3% season-long zone rate is tied for the fifth-lowest mark in baseball among qualified hitters.

This means the 26-year-old needs to make the most of the pitches he does see and ultimately offers at in the strike zone. A drop in swing rate on strikes since the All-Star break has come with a slight drop in contact rate for that situation, as well.

So it seems as if Bell may not be as far off as his traditional statistics are showing. What’s great is that he hasn’t sacrificed his approach as a way to get out of this terrible slump. The Pirates’ season may have spiraled out of control, but their first baseman still has time to bust out and finish strong in what’s already been a career-defining campaign.

NBA fans have been enjoying watching and betting on the playoffs so far this season, but Wednesday’s card is the lightest we’ve seen since the postseason began, with only one game on tap.

The good news is that we have plenty of MLB games to pick from, and we scoured the card to find the best bet for the night.

So without further ado, here are the two best bets (one MLB, one NBA) to wager on tonight, as we look to begin May on a high note.

Trail Blazers +3.5

The Nuggets played one of their best games of the playoffs so far in Game 1, as they used the momentum coming off a Game 7 win, and the home crowd behind them at the Pepsi Center, to put together a dominant 48-minute performance. Everything was going right for the Nuggets, as they played well defensively, got major contributors from their role players and their three-point shooting was great.

But it’s highly unlikely that they’ll be able to replicate that type of performance in consecutive showings.

The Blazers, on the other hand, have one of the best players in the playoffs suiting up for them in sharpshooter Damian Lillard. He’s put the team on his back in big moments this season, and we expect him to do so again in Game 2. Portland knows how important it is to play a complete game as they prepare to fly back and host the next contest, and we expect plenty of urgency and defensive adjustments from them on Wednesday. Take the points here.

Philadelphia Phillies ML

We’re happy to back the Phillies in this spot, as they’re coming off a home loss to the inferior Tigers, with their ace on the mound. Aaron Nola has had a few rough stretches here and there, but he continues to get run support from his team, and facing the Tigers’ anemic defense figures to be exactly what he needs to get back on track. Nola was great against the Tigers in the only time facing them back in 2016, giving up only two earned runs in six innings.

The Tigers had lost four straight before pulling off a win on Tuesday night, and they’re in a tough spot on Wednesday, with Nola looking to play the role of “stopper,” and also trying to revert to his 2018 form.

Spring is in full swing, and baseball fans are enjoying the beautiful weather at the ballpark, watching their favorite teams compete on the diamond. It’s a great time of year, as technically every team is in position for a potential playoff berth, and motivation is high across the league.

Saturday’s slate of MLB action brings some great day games, so fans have the opportunity of parking themselves on their favorite piece of furniture to watch the action, if they choose. With that said, here are our best bets for today.

MLB betting picks for April 20

Yankees -250 — It’s the biggest chalk on today’s card, and while we don’t generally advocate laying the big wood, New York should certainly be included in any parlay card. The game features two teams in opposite situations, as the Yankees are looking to build a winning streak during this nine-game homestand, while the Royals have been sellers, and are faced with the strong possibility of a 100-loss season.

Masahiro Tanaka is great at home, while Heath Filmeyer is not so much on the road (2.91 vs 6.00 away last season). Back the slugging Bronx Bombers at Yankee Stadium, where they thrive in day games, against the struggling Royals.

Rays -144 — Don’t look now, but the Tampa Bay Rays are not only the best team in Major League Baseball, with a 14-6 record, but also one of the most profitable ones, as bettors would be up $538 if betting $100 per game.

The great news is that we get them cheap on Saturday, as they’re squaring off against the division rival Red Sox. The line is short because the Red Sox usually play well in Tampa, but they’re off to an abysmal start, at 7-13, and the erratic Rick Porcello has given up 14 earned runs in his last 11 ? innings of work. We’ll gladly back Charlie Morton here at this price.

Astros-Rangers UNDER 10 runs — This total appears to be an overreaction to Adrian Sampson’s previous start, as he was shelled for seven earned runs against the A’s. But the majority of those runs came via the long ball, as he gave up two home runs. Everyone has a few rough outings over the course of the season, and the fact remains the Sampson has been very good, giving up just one earned run in his previous two outings.

And on the other side of the ball, we know what flamethrower Gerrit Cole is capable of when he’s on, and that sure appears to be the case right now. He’s posted quality starts in all four outings this year, giving up just nine runs combined. These two teams combined for nine runs yesterday, and we look for Saturday’s game to fall somewhere around there as well, having a hard time making the case for 11, with a small window to lose this wager.

Nationals -220 — Fading Marlins pitcher Jose Urena has been extremely profitable so far this season, as he’s been the worst in the league thus far. He recorded a no decision in his last time out, but was 0-3 in his first three starts, giving a ridiculous 14 earned runs in just 13 ? innings pitched.

Saturday’s matchup features figures to be a difficult one for him, as he’s squaring off against one of the best starting pitchers in the game. Max Scherzer has dominated the Marlins in his career, and he’ll continue that trend on Saturday.

Now that sports betting is legal in the United States, teams are looking to capitalize on it, in an attempt to increase engagement, and also put fans in stands. The Wizards/Capitals are set to open a sportsbook at Capital One Arena later this fall.

And the Cubs may soon be following suit.

The Cubs have been renovating Wrigley Field over the past few years, as it’s one of the oldest ballparks in the country, and they may also be adding another goodie as well.

Apparently, the Cubs are considering bringing betting-related services to the ballpark — be it a sportsbook, betting kiosks or even betting windows,

Illinois legislature just recently passed a bill allowing authorized regulated sports betting, so don’t be surprised if this is implemented sooner than later.