Life hasn’t been easy for Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jo Adell. After being a first-round pick by the Angels, he’s struggled big time at the big league level since debuting in 2020 as a 21-year-old. But he’s the hottest hitter in minor league baseball and now is the time to move him.
The reality is that Adell was called up too soon. He wasn’t major league ready then and he was overmatched against MLB pitching. He also struggled defensively and all in all was a talented player with very little confidence.
Jo Adell of the Angels with a flyball that bounced off of his glove for a home run. pic.twitter.com/wf1aovxpWO
— Talk Nats (@TalkNats) August 9, 2020
Is Adell going to be one of those players who ends up being too good for the minors but not good enough for the majors?
Historic run in the minors
He’s been on a historic run at the Angels Triple A affiliate in Salt Lake City. The Bees just concluded a six-game series against the Albuquerque Isotopes, the Colorado Rockies AAA affiliate. In each of those games, Jo Adell homered.
🚨JO ADELL BREAKS THE FRANCHISE RECORD WITH 6 CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH A HOME RUN🚨 pic.twitter.com/DnvXzgrIoM
— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) April 9, 2023
To say Adell is doing well this season is an understatement. Through nine games, he’s slashing .353/.476/.1.088 with a 1.564 OPS along with 7 home runs and 15 RBIs in 34 AB’s. He has a .913 OPS in six minor league seasons with 78 home runs and 260 RBIs.
He simply hasn’t put it together at the MLB level. Adell first reached Triple-A as a 20-year-old in 2019 and he’s always dominated at that level. He’s a career .274/.344/.563 hitter with 47 doubles and 44 home runs in 150 Triple-A games.
The command of the strike zone is lacking though; Adell has struck out 207 times in those 148 games. This year he’d fanned nine times in eight Triple-A games coming into Sunday.
Big league numbers are underwhelming
Adell is a career .215/.260/.356 hitter with 194 strikeouts and only 26 walks in 161 MLB games. He has considerable power, but he’s been held back by chronic plate indiscipline. That’s not to say he hasn’t had his big moments in MLB:
Ladies and gentlemen, that’s former @BaseballBruins and @BHSBRUINS Jo Adell with ANOTHER GWRBI for the @Angels Back in the show and here to stay! https://t.co/GW2NFVmYGP
— Howard Kaplin (@hkaplin) August 18, 2021
No room in Anaheim
The Angels trading for Hunter Renfroe was a clear indication that weren’t going to give Adell a shot at making the big league roster. He won’t replace Taylor Ward and barring injury, he’ll remain in Salt Lake City.
But the Angels could and should trade him while he’s so hot. They’ve got numerous needs including a bullpen which has been hit hard in the early going.
Angels front office working overtime on Easter to ask 29 teams if they’d like 2023 AAA MVP Jo Adell exchange for a reliever pic.twitter.com/8mqCn04Gbx
— 🏴☠️Perry The Pirate🏴☠️ (@PerryBurner) April 10, 2023
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