Amidst the talk about developing a young core for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, one name that shouldn’t get lost in the shuffle is longtime outfield prospect Jo Adell.
Although ‘prospect’ might not be the term to describe Adell anymore.
He’s a young outfielder for the Angels, one of many.
Once considered to be the next young phenom (and perhaps cornerstone piece) for the Halos and ranked number 6 overall in the MLB Pipeline in 2020, Adell’s career has fallen well-short of those lofty expectations.
Despite having a great mix of speed and power, Adell has failed to reach his full potential in four big league seasons, where he’s shutted back-and-forth between Anaheim and their Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City due to a lack of consistency.
He has a career batting average of just .214 in 619 major-league plate appearances with 18 home run and 66 RBIs while striking out 35 percent of the time. Despite all of his physical tools, Adell has struggled defensively at times in the outfield, racking up five errors during the 2022 season.
His inability to show improvement and growth over the last four years has been the main reason why he hasn’t been able to stick. Instead, Adell has had to watch others like Taylor Ward and Mickey Moniak carve out niches for themselves in both corner outfield positions over the last few years, while he’s been optioned back to the minors to find himself.
Combine that with a healthy Mike Trout still patrolling center field and the addition of veteran outfielder Aaron Hicks, and now Adell’s future with the Angels appears very murky considering he’s also out of Minor League options this season.
Even another vet Jake Marisnick has outperformed Adell at times this spring with a .353 batting average.
Adell is batting .216, with a home run, three doubles, and a triple in 18 games, but his focus is on trying to improve each day, not his numbers or his roster status.
“My rhythm is getting there,” Adell said via MLB.com. “I’ve missed a few pitches here and there and hit some fly balls but overall I’m feeling really good. But getting rhythm is really the main focus. Everything else will come into play.”
Angels manager Ron Washington also believes the 24-year-old is improving and grinding everyday to reach that once highly touted potential.
“He’s a different guy now,” Washington said via MLB.com. “And because he’s going through this process, once the season starts, I think we might have the Jo Adell everybody wanted because now he has to be engaged. And now he’s using the whole field. He’s feeling good about himself. He’s working hard every day.”
While that is encouraging to hear from his skipper, the question remains what do the Angels do with him in a crowded outfield even with the DH spot at their disposal?
Can Wash rotate five healthy outfielders while keeping them engaged and productive?
With the season less than two weeks away, the Angels must decide if Adell’s days with the Halos are numbered or give him another shot to prove he belongs in the big leagues.
Given their outfield depth and need for pitching, GM Perry Minasian could consider shopping Adell in order to land a starting pitcher, but the issue then becomes how good of a return can they get on a minor leaguer who’s value has taken a hit in recent years.
This is definitely a make-or-break year for Adell and could certainly be the turning point of his career with the Angels or perhaps elsewhere.
