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The most coveted type of player in fantasy baseball is the batter who can hit home runs, steal bases and hit for contact. Stolen bases are harder to find, as more big-league teams are opting to take a cautious approach to baserunning. Additionally, batting average has declined because hitters are striking out more often, as they sell out for the long ball.
This is why Los Angeles Angels’ outfield prospect, 20-year-old Jo Adell, is an intriguing sleeper for the 2020 season. Adell is a five-tool player who combines power and speed with contact ability. He is considered one of the top prospects in baseball, with FanGraphs ranking him #4 on their recent Top-100 list.
Adell’s impressive skill set and prospect pedigree come with a 215.65 ADP in NFBC leagues. This is a cheap price for an exciting hitter who figures to be up with the Angels by sometime in May. Let’s examine why you should pull the trigger on selecting Adell in your fantasy drafts.
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Minor League stats
Throughout his Minor League career, Adell showed the ability to generate quality contact while maintaining power and stealing bases.
| Year | Level | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | HR | SB | BB% | K% |
| 2018 | A | 108 | 0.326 | 0.398 | 0.611 | 6 | 4 | 10.2 | 24.1 |
| 2018 | A+ | 262 | 0.290 | 0.345 | 0.546 | 12 | 9 | 5.7 | 24 |
| 2019 | A+ | 27 | 0.280 | 0.333 | 0.560 | 2 | 0 | 3.7 | 37 |
| 2019 | AA | 182 | 0.308 | 0.390 | 0.553 | 8 | 6 | 10.4 | 22.5 |
| 2019 | AAA | 132 | 0.264 | 0.321 | 0.355 | 0 | 1 | 7.6 | 32.6 |
It’s impressive to see the way Adell was able to soar through the Angels’ Minor League system at such a young age. Whenever we see a young hitter show these types of improvements, we need to pay close attention.
Scouting report
Baseball Savant describes Adell as a hitter with the ability to “drive the ball to all fields,” whose speed will help with stealing bases and playing strong defense in the outfield. While Adell has struggled with “swing-and-miss tendencies,” as demonstrated in his brief stint in AAA, he has been able to make adjustments throughout his career.
Team context
The Angels have wasted away some of the prime years of Mike Trout, failing to qualify for the playoffs for five consecutive seasons. This has increased the level of desperation within the organization, so the team is all-in for the 2020 season, having signed star third baseman Anthony Rendon and acquired starting pitchers Julio Teheran and Dylan Bundy. They will have a full season of Shohei Ohtani (who is expected to begin pitching around mid-May), as well as a return to health for Justin Upton. This is important for Adell’s outlook because it’s clear that the Angels are more willing to call him up sooner rather than later, due to their dire need to return to the playoffs.
Once Adell is up with the big club, he has the opportunity to be mentored by Trout and Upton, two outfielders who have experience adapting to the big leagues as hyped top prospects. Adell will likely hit towards the bottom of the order, but with a hot stretch of play, he can easily move up to the top of the lineup, as the team has a glaring hole in the leadoff spot, with outfielder Brian Goodwin projected to occupy that position.
Average Draft Position
Adell is currently being drafted behind outfielders like Lorenzo Cain, Joc Pederson, and Adam Eaton. At this stage of the draft, it’s prudent to swing for the fences and invest in high upside players, so Adell is definitely the superior option. His power and speed combination is similar to Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert, who is garnering much more buzz with a current ADP of 82.62. Instead of buying into the hype, it might be a good idea to wait 130 picks and select Adell. A 20/20 season is absolutely within the realm of possibility for the young Angels outfielder.
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