After Bell joined the Houston Astros, his last name, hitting skills and speed positioned him in Houston's vaunted lineup of "Killer B's", established by Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio. This group of players helped lead the franchise to a new level of success that included a string of playoff appearances and second-place finishes that commenced in the 1990s. Bell went on to enjoy one of the finest seasons of his career in 1995, with a .334 batting average that was fourth-highest in the league. He drew consideration in the Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) voting, placing fourteenth place with 12 points. The team won three straight National League Central division championships from 1997−99. Bell's year-to-year performance varied considerably, but he peaked in 1998. That season, he batted .314 with 41 doubles and 22 home runs, good for an OPS of .855 as the Astros won a franchise-record 102 games.