Prominent Angels bust’s new sport a reminder of potential LA could not unlock

From the moment the Los Angeles Angels picked Jordyn Adams in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft, he was a bit of an enigma. There were times when his otherworldly athleticism would be on display during games, and he looked like a future All-Star. Other times, he looked completely lost. After a very strong season in Triple-A in 2023, the Angels finally gave Adams a shot at the majors, and that is when things went sideways.

Despite all of that physical ability, the Angels could not figure out how to translate that raw talent into actual production in the big leagues. Adams was only able to muster 78 plate appearances with the Halos, and his .421 OPS did not inspire much optimism.

With the writing on the wall, the Angels ultimately decided to let Adams go. He went on to play in 10 games last season with the Baltimore Orioles, but it was clear after that, despite all of that physical ability, Adams' chances of ever sticking in the majors were near zero.

However, as it turns out, that was not the end of Adams' story. It was recently reported that he resurfaced, but in a somewhat unusual way. Apparently, not only is Adams heading to college, but he is also joining the SMU football team at the age of 26.

Jordyn Adams is trying his hand at college football after Angels' failure

While going back to college after one's playing career is admirable and encouraged, Adams situation is pretty unique. It's true that Adams was a five-star football recruit before he was drafted, but going into a different sport altogether after an eight-year absence is quite the gambit. That didn't stop Tim Tebow from doing the same switch in reverse, but that was a unique case that felt very much like a marketing move for the most part.

However, one shouldn't count Adams out. He's a world-class athlete. LA just could not figure out how to get Adams' hit tool to a place where he could showcase that athleticism with any amount of regularity. It's wild that Adams is getting a bona fide football opportunity after all of this time, but he will probably make more money doing that than he did as a minor leaguer. Yes, that's quite sad.

One does hope that Adams succeeds. Just because baseball didn't work out doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to find success in whatever other path he chooses. Also, good for him for going back to school, and hopefully, he's able to get a degree out of it, or at least some knowledge he can carry over to whatever is next for him.

However, if Adams immediately takes to football again and shows out, it will be hard not to wonder if the Angels may have screwed up with his development. The sports are certainly very different, and he may be more suited for football, but the optics definitely won't be great.

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