Angels Countdown to Spring - 21 Days

1/21/20 - Jay Sheehy - Founder and Editor-In-Chief 10:44 AM PST

Many of the reasons the Los Angeles Angels are destined to make the playoffs in 2020 revolve around the simple fact that they have better players and coaches; people with track records and proof of their talent. But, sometimes it is the people who don’t have a professional track record who come in and make the biggest difference. In 2019, David Fletcher showed that he will be a big part of the Angels future with his ability to play above average defense all over the diamond. Fletcher, however, has a much lower ceiling than the 21st reason the Angels will make the playoffs this upcoming season.

Reason #21: The age of phenom Jo Adell (as of April 8th)

Sliding into the future with uber prospect, Jo Adell

He is the reason the Angels didn’t use their option on fan-favorite Kole Calhoun. He is a top-10 prospect in all of baseball (new rankings come out this week). He’s got power, speed and poise. He is the reason Angels fans have been patient over the last year, knowing that an outfield with superhuman Mike Trout and Adell would be something worth paying money to see. He is the future.

What’s so special about Adell? Well, for starters, everything. When the Angels drafted him out of Ballard High School in Louisville, there was talk that he might have difficulty adjusting to quality pitching. So far, he sports a .298 career batting average despite being one of the youngest players at each stop of the minor leagues. He has easy power that has showed up in 20 home runs in 2018 (over 396 at bats) and that seems to becoming more game evident by the week. He’s also got speed as evident by his amazing coverage in the outfield as well as the 30 bases he’s stolen (only being caught five times). While 2019 was a bit of a struggle for Adell, due to injuries sustained in spring training with the big league club, his perseverance and ability to grind through adversity spoke volumes about the type of poise the young man possesses.

So what can we expect in 2020? First, we know he will start the season in the minors for “seasoning” or “work on his defense” or something of the like. The reality is there’s no reason not to manipulate service time and get an extra season of control if you’re the Angels. Brian Goodwin is a solid stop-gap and when Adell comes up in May, for good, he will be roaring to go. For a conservative estimate let’s assume he is able to play 100 games in the majors in 2020. Why 100? Because it’s a round number and because it allows for the possibility that the Angels truly might want Adell to spend time in Triple-A after scuffling a bit there late last season.

100 games: .268/.344/.521/.865
427 Plate appearances, 380 At-bats, 102 hits, 45 walks, 23 Doubles, 5 Triples, 21 Home Runs
13 stolen bases in 16 attempts, and at least 0.5 defensive WAR.

While it looks like an amazing season, not one seen in The Land of Halos (outside of Mike Trout), it’s exactly what Jo Adell is capable of as a 21-year old rookie. That’s why he is reason #21, and that’s why the Angels will make the playoffs in 2020.