Justin Upton spent the end of 2017 campaign with the Los Angeles Angels, and has played a role in the outfield ever since in Anaheim. That is, until now. The Angels recently announced that they were designating Upton for assignment. The outfielder will make $28 million this season despite the Angels decision to release him. But the fact that the team was willing to cut him even with the immense salary means that the time is now for top prospects Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh.
Justin Upton enjoyed a solid Spring that saw him hit .333 with three home runs. But Marsh and Adell have been on track to replace him for a number of years now, and the Angels have apparently decided that the duo are ready for a full season of big league action.
The Angels have not reached the postseason since 2014. It is something that baseball fans discuss all of the time since Mike Trout, one of the best players of all-time, only has one single postseason series to his name. Additionally, two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani has yet to play meaningful baseball in October.
So can the youthful duo of Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh help the Halos get over the hump?
Jo Adell
Adell, still just 22 years old, was selected by the Angels with the 10th overall pick in the 2017 draft. After two minor league seasons as one of the Angels top prospects, Los Angeles promoted him to the big league club in 2020.
However, the transition was difficult for Adell. He hit an extremely underwhelming .161/.212/.266 with only 3 home runs over the course of 38 games. He also struck out an alarming 55 times during that span. This led some Angel fans to jump the gun and call the young outfielder a bust.
But the team knew better than to give up on him after just 38 games.
Adell spent the majority of 2021 in the minor leagues. He was promoted in August and went 3-4 in his season debut. Adell played 35 Major League games in 2021 and posted a much improved .246/.295/.408 line with four homers.
He also flashed signs of brilliance throughout those 35 games. The Angels believe he is a star in the making.
Brandon Marsh
Brandon Marsh has plenty of defensive prowess in the outfield. There was even discussion earlier in the spring about moving Mike Trout to left field and placing Marsh in center.
Whether Marsh ends up playing a corner outfield spot or center, it is clear that the Angels think he is ready.
The 24-year old was selected by Los Angeles in the second round of the 2016 draft. Although he was not the most notable prospect at the time, his prospect pedigree has improved mightily during his tenure in the minors.
Marsh’s first big league action came in 2021. He hit .245/.317/.356 with 2 home runs and 6 stolen bases over 70 games with the Angels. Marsh also finished strong with a .297 average over his final 46 games of the season. His production was especially important since Mike Trout missed most of the year due to injury.
His Spring Training numbers might have been another reason why the Angels felt comfortable letting Upton go. Marsh is currently hitting well over .300 with an OPS of over .900. If he can hit anywhere near those numbers during the regular season, the Angels might have a star on their hands.
Angels 2022 Outfield and Season Outlook
The team’s greatest need remains starting pitching. They added to the bullpen and the offense is looking strong to enter the year.
Shohei Ohtani, Noah Syndergaard, and Patrick Sandoval lead the rotation. Reid Detmers is a capable young arm who could develop into a quality option this year. Their lack of starting pitching depth is concerning, but the Angels offense might be able to lead them to the postseason for the first in eight years.
And a good amount of that offense could end up stemming from this potentially star-studded outfield. Trout is an MVP-level player and he will post impressive numbers as long as he stays off the injured list.
But if Brandon Marsh and Jo Adell take the steps necessary to become reliable outfield options in 2022, the Angels will have one of the deepest lineups in all of baseball. The duo should fit in well in a batting order that already includes Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Anthony Rendon, and Jared Walsh. Even without Justin Upton, this is a lineup that can get the job done at a high level.
The Los Angeles Angels certainly have hope for the 2022 campaign. Baseball desperately needs Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani in the postseason, and perhaps Adell and Marsh can help get them there.
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