The Los Angeles Angels received good news from their Triple-A squad after Jo Adell and Chase Silseth took home Pacific Coast League Player of the Week honors to open the 2023 season.
Through nine games with the Salt Lake Bees, Adell set franchise records for his work at the plate. Following his homer on Sunday, the outfielder marked his sixth consecutive game with a long ball, breaking the old record of five straight set by Chad Rupp in 1977.
The former top prospect has maintained his work ethic, grinding hard throughout the offseason, and his work is paying early dividends. Entering play on Monday, Adell led all PCL hitters in homers (7), runs batted in (15), slugging percentage (1.088) extra-base hits (11), and runs (11).
Adell’s outburst is an early positive that he’s continuing to grow and mature as a raw prospect still searching for his footing within the Angels organization.
Silseth, the top pitching prospect in the farm system, flashed his dominance in his first two turns through the rotation. Through 11 innings he logged 13 strikeouts to secure the PCL lead and currently sits at, or near the top in every major statistical pitching category.
Originally drafted in the 11th round of the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft, Silseth garnered some early consideration for the team’s starting rotation. After Angels manager Phil Nevin hinted that a six-man rotation might be in the works, the right-hander has checked every box to ensure he remains in the mix.
Angels feeling expectation of 2023 season
A solid start from the Angels has them eyeing the American League West, and their decent stretch has much to do with a couple of offensive outbursts and length from starting rotation. However, the memories of last season and their success through early May are difficult to forget how fast their success went downhill.
Angels owner Arte Moreno greenlit offseason spending amidst questions of him selling the team, but after adding Brandon Drury and Tyler Anderson, then trading for Hunter Renfroe alongside Gio Urshela, the Angels have a talented team, and Shohei Ohtani’s final contract season had a bit more to it.
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