Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington commended outfielder Jo Adell for his recent success at the plate.
“The hard work he’s putting in, hopefully it’s beginning to pay off,” Washington said. “Jo has been grinding since Day One. All the work he’s been putting in, it’s time for it to pay off. He’s not just trying to hit the ball out the ballpark. He’s getting base hits all kinds of ways.”
Adell's batting average dropped as low as .176 during May, but a strong finish to the month brought it above the Mendoza line, and he now sits at .212. He recorded three hits Friday against the Cleveland Guardians, and followed it up with a home run Saturday. He then had a two-homer game on Monday.
The Angels drafted Adell with the 10th overall pick in 2017, and although he had played in MLB sporadically from 2020-23, 2024 was his first full season. The outfielder featured in 130 games, posting a .207/.280/.402 slash line with 20 home runs and 62 runs batted in. He had a 91 OPS+, which despite being slightly below league average, was the highest of his career.
This season, Adell is posting similar numbers, slashing .212/.282/.418 and has an OPS+ just under 100. He's had his struggles at the plate this season, striking out just under 25 percent of the time, but his recent performances show he is moving in the right direction.
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