Is LA Angels prospect Jo Adell being rushed to the big leagues too quickly?

After the 2019 season ended the LA Angels made the decision to part ways with long-time right fielder Kole Calhoun. It was a move that saddened many Angel fans, but it was one that made sense financially.

On the flip side cutting ties with Kole Calhoun accelerated the ascent of the LA Angels top prospect Jo Adell.  If Calhoun’s contract would have been renewed he would have been penciled in as the Angels right fielder for 2020 and Brian Goodwin would have been the fourth outfielder. Now with that safety net gone Adell is now on the fast-track to being the Angels everyday right fielder. But is the boy-wonder ready for such a role.

Jo Adell is tremendously talented and could be almost the second-coming of Mike Trout according to some experts.  I would not go that far, although I really like Adell’s game and I think he has the potential to be a perennial all-star once he hits his groove. However, even though many people are clamoring to see Adell in the majors ASAP, is that the best thing for his development?

I for one, do not think so.  Goodwin is a very capable back-up and could serve as a stop gap for a few months while Adell conquers his last hurdle which is to have success in Triple-A. Adell only played 27 games in Triple-A at the end of last season with minimal success (.264 average with no homers and eight RBIs. He also had 43 strikeouts in 121 at-bats compared to 10 walks, which means he struck out a third of the time he came to bat.

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This alone leads me to believe he needs a little more seasoning.  Hopefully Joe Maddon and his staff will realize this and not rush Adell up to the majors in 2020 if he is not ready.  Adell could come into Spring Training and go off and everyone will want to anoint him ready to conquer the majors.  However, half the pitchers Adell may face in the Spring will probably be bagging groceries by the time the season starts, so it is not a true test of whether or not he is ready.

If you promote a prospect before he is truly ready it could have irreparable damage to his confidence that may take some time to undo.

Hopefully the Angels realize this and make the right decision that will be best for Adell.  If he is truly ready though bring him on up, but don’t just do it for the sake of doing so or saving face because they let Calhoun walk this off-season.

We will see how Adell does next season.  I’m sure we will see him at some point.  Just hopefully not too soon,