Jo Adell, arguably the best prospect the Los Angeles Angels have had since Mike Trout, wrestled as a rookie in 2020, hit .161 while clearly struggling defensively.
And while Angels manager Joe Maddon believes it is unfair to judge players based on such an unconventional season, he also said he believes Adell “definitely needs more time in the minor leagues.”
“But I’m sure,” Maddon added Friday, “if you get that chance, you’ll see what you thought you saw. That was a tough time for him last year, the way it started – it didn’t start very well for him, and it started spinning very quickly, which happens with a lot of guys coming into the majors from the minor leagues. He needs a normal pattern to get rolling next year. But this man is very talented. He has a lot of great things ahead of him. He needs a normal year to get his feet back under him. “
Adell, ESPN’s 10th highest-rated prospect before the season began, came out 55 times and walked just seven during the 60-game season. His .478 OPS was the lowest of the players with at least 130 at bats; his min-3 outs above average put him in the bottom 20% of players in any position. But Adell is only 21 and he entered the 2020 season – a season that was played out amid the coronavirus pandemic, with no fans in the stands and no access to in-game video – came off a rough show in Triple-A. for its 2019 Season.
Maddon said Adell, who started 29 games in the right field and four others in the middle, was “rushed” to the majors.
“To judge him based on what you saw last year can be very dangerous if you choose to go negative,” Maddon said. “This guy – a great athlete, of course. This guy – a really smart, great teammate, great work ethic and holds information extremely well. That’s what I learned about him last year.”
Under freshman general manager Perry Minasian, the Angels have developed a number of trades to bring Jose Iglesias and Raisel Iglesias closer. But they are still looking for at least one starting pitcher on the frontline – although Shohei Ohtani is expected to resume his two-way role in 2021, returning to the rotation – and an established catcher. The presence of Adell and Brandon Marsh gives the Angels a bright future in the outfield, but Adell’s 2020 struggles could prompt the team to add more depth there for the 2021 season.
Maddon did not say Adell would start next season in the minor leagues, but said, “There are things he definitely needs to work on, and he knows that. This guy is a really good self-evaluator, he is very accountable to him. himself., so let’s just take him to camp, rock and roll him and make our decisions right then. “