3 Angels prospects heading into a make or break year

Where the Los Angeles Angels stand heading into the 2024 season is tough to say. They hope to bring Shohei Ohtani back and make a push for the playoffs, but that doesn't seem likely. Even if Ohtani leaves they're going to try to make it. If they won just 73 games with last year's Shohei, how will they do this season?

One way the Angels can improve is by getting production out of their young players. The Angels hope that players that aren't prospects anymore like Zach Neto, Jose Soriano, and Logan O'Hoppe take a jump. They also hope certain prospects that might be a factor later in the season can improve.

These three prospects are running out of time to prove themselves as MLB-caliber players. Sooner or later, the Angels might just have to decide they don't have it in them.

1) Jordyn Adams

Jordyn Adams was selected in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Angels and has certainly had his ups and downs. His offensive numbers in the minors have been subpar at best for a first round pick, as Adams has just a .707 OPS in five seasons.

The 24-year-old showed more this season than he ever had in the minors, hitting 15 home runs, stealing 44 bases, and posting an .817 OPS for AAA Salt Lake. His offensive ascension combined with a plethora of injuries in the outfield earned him a call-up in August. Unfortunately, Adams did nothing with it, recording just five hits in 39 at-bats with 16 strikeouts.

It feels like Adams might just be who he is right now. He's a player with great speed and tools to be an elite defensive outfielder, but his hit tool isn't good enough for the majors. He fanned 133 times in 415 at-bats last season in the minors and at a 40% clip in limited MLB at-bats.

Barring a massive shift from Adams, he's not going to have much of a role with this team and could even be in jeopardy of losing his 40-man roster spot.