Outfielder Jo Adell — age 21 and the most-hyped Angels prospect since superstar Mike Trout — will be promoted to the major leagues on Tuesday.
A source told MLB Advanced Media on Monday afternoon that the time of Adell the Angel was imminent.
Adell could join Trout, who is coming off a four-game absence for paternity leave, in one of MLB’s most exciting outfields when the Halos visit the Seattle Mariners.
Adell, 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, was a consensus Top 10 MLB prospect over the past two seasons. He was drafted No. 10 overall in the 2017 draft.
He will team with Trout and some combination of veterans Justin Upton and Brian Goodwin in an outfield that the Angels hope will bolster a currently flagging offense.
Upton is mired in a 4-for-37 start to this season with a pair of homers, although the left-handed Goodwin has been a bright spot, hitting .333 with a team-leading 1.078 OPS.
A speedster with power to all fields and a strong arm, Adell struggled defensively in the Angels’ second summer camp. He’ll probably play significant time in right field.
But the Angels are confident he’s ready for the majors now. Adell slashed a .298/.361/.518 across all levels of the minor leagues.
He struggled with contact in only 27 games at Triple-A, batting .264 with a .676 OPS, striking out 43 times against 10 walks.
By waiting until beyond July 28 to promote Adell, the Angels gained an extra year of service time.
Under the guidelines of the current MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement, Adell will now be able to reach free agency following the 2026 season, unless under a new CBA.
Last week, Angel manager Joe Maddon was coy about the team’s plans for Adell despite the club’s offensive struggles and 3-7 start to this pandemic-shortened season.
“I believe he’ll be up here at some point,” Maddon had said. “I’m not into microwaving talent.”
Before Opening Day, Adell had been working out with members of the Angels’ reserve squad at the team’s facility at Blair Field in Long Beach.
After activating Trout and calling up Adell to the 30-man roster, it’s expected that the Angels will option outfielders Jared Walsh and Michael Hermosillo.
