Angels lineup just got more dangerous thanks to Jo Adell stepping up

Jo Adell's long-awaited breakout finally happened last year, as the former top prospect hit 37 home runs en route to a 112 wRC+ and 1.2 fWAR. There were still flaws in his game -- he still struck out far too often, he rarely took walks, and his defense remained abhorrent -- but the foundation was laid for a fearsome middle-of-the-order slugger.

After the campaign ended, the question on every Los Angeles Angels fan's mind was: Could he do it again?

Well, it's safe to say he's answered that emphatically here in the early going of the 2026 season. In fact, not only is he repeating his brilliance, but he's actually gotten better.

Through the team's first 21 games, Adell hit .302/.341/.430, good for a career-high 120 wRC+. That kind of production carries weight, especially in the minds of opposing pitchers. Thus, it should be no surprise that Mike Trout, hitting ahead of Adell in the No. 2 spot in the lineup, is having his best season in half a decade.

Jo Adell's production spike is making Mike Trout more dangerous atop Angels' lineup

The idea of "lineup protection" is a little nebulous, since the advanced analytics crowd can't make up their minds on whether or not it's a genuine factor that hinders or greases production. But, purely from a logistical sense, it's always rung true that a player will get better pitches to hit if the pitcher doesn't want to face the hitter after them with traffic on the basepaths.

Adell and Trout are often split up in Kurt Suzuki's lineups by first baseman Nolan Schanuel, who is experiencing a difficult start to the 2026 season. But with Zach Neto doing his usual thing from the leadoff spot, Jorge Soler crushing homers when not suspended, and Oswald Peraza turning into a legitimate All-Star candidate, the Angels have enough depth around their two star sluggers to get them ample opportunities to face some favorable pitches.

And whether or not you believe in the magic of lineup protection, the results speak for themselves. Trout has found the fountain of youth, posting a .984 OPS and 174 wRC+ while walking more than he's struck out. It's the kind of turn-back-the-clocks effort that could actually help the Angels make that long-elusive push for October.

Now, there are reasons for caution, especially when it comes to Adell. He remains absurdly reliant on his elite bat speed to produce results, as his not-so-discerning eye at the plate has led him to a 2.2% walk rate and 23rd-percentile chase rate (among qualified hitters).

But if last year was his proof of concept that this profile could work in the big leagues, then 2026 has been the fully realized prototype. And the Angels are much, much better off because of it.

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