Jo Adell came out of Ballard high school in Louisville, Kentucky where he was committed to attend the University of Louisville after high school. He served as a two-way player, playing center field and pitching for Ballard high. Adell was an intriguing figure in high school, who caught the eyes of many pro scouts.
He immediately became one of the top prospects leading up to the 2017 Major League Baseball draft. With that being said, Adell won the Gatorade player of the year for the state of Kentucky after his senior season. In his final year at Ballard high, Adell hit .562, 25 HRs, 61 RBIs with 53 runs and had 22 stolen bases. He hit more home runs than any high school player in the country that season with his 25 bombs.
(Photo courtesy of Baseball America)
Adell was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the first round with the tenth overall pick. Adell is a talented center fielder that possesses a 6-foot-3, 208-pound frame. His draft day was spent at MLB Network’s Studio 42, where the live draft is held. He had a lot of similarities before entering the draft that Mike Trout brought to the table. The Angels have seen tremendous value in the “Trout pick” and hope Adell brings back similar value. Adell was awarded a $4,376,800 bonus when he signed his contract with the Angels.
Adell’s first half season in the minors was spent in rookie ball where he came out of the gates swinging. In 49 games of rookie ball, he batted .325 with five HRs and 30 RBIs. His time was spent in the Arizona Fall League and the Pioneer League, where he played his home games in Orem, Utah.
During his first full season of minor league ball in 2018, he hit .290 with 20 HRs and 77 RBIs. Adell’s speed is another factor that opposing teams have to be aware of, as he swiped 15 stolen bases over a 99-game span. In 2018 he played for three different clubs starting at Class-A Burlington, then moving up to Class-A Advanced Inland Empire and ending his season in Class-AA Mobile. One thing that stands out, is the spark in his home run total with 20 long balls in 2018. Typically it takes a little longer for a prospect coming straight from high school to develop home run type of power.
Adell was selected as a participant for the 2018 Futures game and flashed his talented ability when facing other elite prospects. He batted leadoff for team USA and crushed a double into right field, which gave team USA the go-ahead run. His speed is an asset that was out on display while running the bases and roaming center field. His upside is tremendous for the Angels organization, as he’s still only 19 years old. Still being just a kid gives him the ability to get stronger and develop his fielding, hitting and base running with his strong work ethic that he brings.
Adell’s potential continues to grow as he gets more time in the minors. He has already climbed the minor leagues in just one and a half seasons, finishing in Class-AA. He’s likely to start in Class-AAA and develop more of his tools before he cracks the big league club. If he continues to improve as he’s done in the past, there’s no reason Adell doesn’t see time in right field alongside Mike Trout. When Trout was called up from the minor leagues he was mentored by Torii Hunter. Trout would be a good mentor to learn from as Adell improves his fundamentals and continues to contribute to the Angels organization moving forward. He currently sits as the Angels No.1 prospect in their farm system and the No.15 prospect across baseball according to MLB.com.
(Photo courtesy of Geoff Burke-USA Today Sports)
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