Jo Adell has been the Los Angeles Angels’ best prospect for the better part of the last five years.
He is athletic, speedy, and has enormous raw power.
However, an inability to make consistent contact and to get on base at acceptable rates have made his road in MLB tougher than we all thought it would be.
He made his debut in 2020, but it’s 2023 and he still hasn’t been able to claim possession of a long-term spot in the Angels’ outfield.
This year, he is determined to perform as well as he can in Triple-A and force his way up.
He has been doing just that, and then some.
As of Friday afternoon, Adell is hitting .281/.369/.595 and hit his minor-league-leading 21st home run this week.
Jo Adell retakes the Minor League home run lead with this solo shot for the @SaltLakeBees!
The @Angels farmhand keeps this one fair for his 21st dinger of the year: pic.twitter.com/zvsfp5x9Gi
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 23, 2023
June isn’t even over, so he projects for well more than 30 round-trippers.
The best part of his statistical profile this season is that he has a cool 11.1 percent walk rate, although strikeouts are still somewhat of a problem (28.6 percent).
He played just one game in the majors this year, and hit a home run.
If the Angels gave him an extended opportunity, Adell could be able to find the consistency he needs to make himself a better player.
He needs to be afforded a chance to slump and make adjustments.
He has all the talent in the world: he just needs his organization to believe in him.
The Angels are currently fighting for a place in the 2023 postseason, and Adell, if he develops into the kind of hitter scouts thought he could be, could be of great help.
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Shohei Ohtani Has Earned An Early Honor This Week
