This is the player Jo Adell was always supposed to be.
It took a long time for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim top prospect to get to this point. But finally, it looks like Adell has arrived.
Adell was the 10th overall pick in 2017 out of a Louisville-area high school, and he quickly rocketed up prospect rankings.
But by the time he reached the majors in 2020, he evidently wasn’t quite ready. He batted .161, then .246, then .224, then .207, then .207 again last season. His OPS never rose above .706 for a season.
That brings us to this year.
Adell is hitting .251 with 10 doubles, 19 homers and 52 RBI. His OPS: .828.
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Adell is one home run off his career-high of 20 from last season. He’s walking at a better rate than he ever has. He’s striking out much less than he ever has.
Still just 26, Adell has finally begun to realize his potential.
It’s yet another bummer of a season for the Angels, who started well but have struggled since. Mike Trout has missed time with injury, again. Zach Neto was out for a while, too.
Adell may have arrived too late to save Trout’s prime. But maybe he can help lead the Angels into a new era.
If nothing else, he has proven to himself that he belongs in the big leagues. Adell is finally here.
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