3 LA Angels players who are no longer worth defending

It might be time for the Angels to stop giving chances to Jo Adell

Year after year, the Angels find themselves having the same debate about Jo Adell, now their starting center fielder after many years roaming right field. The former top prospect has always shown flashes, but the consistency simply hasn't been there for what is now the better part of five-plus seasons.

While there are some signs to show that a breakout may be on the horizon, Adell has consistently failed to live up to expectations, often failing to translate his tools into actual production. A microcosm of the Jo Adell experience was him hitting two homers in the same inning last week against the Rays, and then following that up by going 2-for-17 with six strikeouts over his next five games.

Now 26 years old, this has been the story of Adell's career: a few flashes of hope surrounded by a whole lot of ineptitude. Despite all of the adjustments and work he's put in, the results have still been the same.

There's still too much swing-and-miss to his game. He still takes too many pitches down the heart of the plate while swinging at junk out of the zone. For Adell, the strikeouts are still too high, the walks too low, and the contact is still too inconsistent.

2025 is a make-or-break season for the once-promising outfielder. So far, it's been a lot more break than make. His leash might be a little bit longer than those for Tim and Ian Anderson, however, that's partially because the Angels don't have many other center field options.

Kyren Paris can play there; however, until Zach Neto and Yoan Moncada return from the IL, his services are primarily needed at second base. Even once Moncada returns, there's no guarantee he'll hold onto the third base job given his own slow start to the year.

The Angels have dedicated this year to competing while developing their young core, which gives a player like Adell a bit more runway, even with his slow start. However, if he doesn't pick it up soon, it will become clear that he's no longer a part of the Halos' future, and the reasons to come to his defense will fall by the wayside.

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