Jo Adell’s early-season surge could lead to Angels to truly surprising conclusion

For years and years, it felt like Jo Adell was a lost cause. Once ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the game by Baseball America back in 2020, the starts and stops and the injuries and inconsistencies that haunted him made it feel like the Los Angeles Angels might never see the five-tool player they once envisioned him being. Fast forward to today, and it might be wise to start considering keeping him around for the long haul.

With 37 homers last season, Adell began experiencing the breakout that the Halos had long awaited. He finally translated elite bat speed into actual power, but there were still flaws to address. He still didn't walk nearly enough, as evidenced by his .293 on-base percentage, and he certainly proved that he couldn't handle center field after years of mostly struggling to play a competent right field.

Spring training gave hope that the power production is here to stay. That alone has him providing Los Angeles with some real value. He's also made it clear that he views 2025 as a building block, and not a final destination.

So far in 2026, we're starting to see that come to fruition. Through 19 games, Adell is slashing .299/.333/.390 with two homers. While the power hasn't come yet, the underlying metrics project no reason to worry. At the same time, we've seen Adell make significantly more contact within the strike zone, with an 86.8% rate that is well above his career mark of 79.9%, suggesting he might be unlocking a bit more contact skill as well. Then, there's been his improving defense, which has been breathtaking at times.

All of this could suggest that the 27-year-old is becoming a prime extension candidate, and coming to a deal could help set the course for the future.

Jo Adell is a clear extension candidate

The Angels have been the most eternally lost team in baseball. Some teams have posted worse records in recent years, like the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox, but that has been part of those clubs' plan to build for the future. The Halos' ineptitude? Well, no one really knows what the end goal is there.

If you zoom out, though, you can see a path forward. With Adell, Los Angeles has a budding core of mid-20s players like Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel, Jose Soriano, and Reid Detmers. All of these guys have shown signs of promise as young players, and now, moving into their primes, have broken out or are on the verge of a breakout. It makes for a decent foundation.

Additionally, the Angels will have Mike Trout in the fold through 2030. As long as they have him, they might as well try to maximize him after wasting nearly the entirety of his brilliant career thus far.

Locking up Adell and the others, and then adding quality supporting pieces around them, could actually put the Angels on the path to contention sooner than expected. With the Astros' window closing and the Rangers cutting payroll over the winter, the opportunity to rise in the near future is there.

This requires having an actual vision, something we haven't seen during the Perry Minasian-Era. It will require real investment, something that Arte Moreno has often balked at. But if the Angels are finally ready to take a bold step, there's a pathway to contention sooner rather than later, with an Adell extension serving as the first step.

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