Angels Make Surprising Move Sending Down Former No. 1 Prospect

At the end of spring training, the Los Angeles Angels released veteran outfielder Justin Upton, primarily because they were certain that former top prospect Jo Adell was finally ready to take the next step and be a regular at the major league level.

Unfortunately, after a rough start to the year, patience has run thin, and Adell has now surprisingly been optioned to Triple-A.

Significant news for the Angels. Jo Adell had gotten off to a tough start both offensively and defensively. He also wasn’t playing everyday.

Perry Minasian said at the end of ST that Adell was ready — prompting DFA of Justin Upton. But clearly there’s still development needed. https://t.co/EXsk1Bn7bN
— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) May 3, 2022

With a 36% strikeout rate compared to a 1.5% walk rate, Adell was able to muster only a .231 average in part-time duty, with a .673 OPS. His previous attempts at sticking in the majors, in 2020 and 2021, hadn't gone much better, and now he'll have to continue to hone his craft at Triple-A, where he has indeed had plenty of success.

Adell was the Angels' first-round pick (No. 10 overall) in the 2017 Draft, and was the club's No. 1 prospect from 2019 through 2021. He's just 23 years old, and still has plenty of time to reach his potential.

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