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Halos' Adell busts out with four-hit night

No. 5 overall prospect slugs first Arizona Fall League homer
Jo Adell did not have a four-hit game across three Minor League levels during the regular season. (Buck Davidson/Getty Images)
September 26, 2019

After a slow start to the Arizona Fall League season, Jo Adell broke out in a big way Wednesday.MLB.com's No. 5 overall prospect jump-started Mesa with a leadoff homer en route to a 4-for-5 night as the Solar Sox pounded Los Mochis of the Mexican Pacific League, 15-2, at Sloan

After a slow start to the Arizona Fall League season, Jo Adell broke out in a big way Wednesday.
MLB.com's No. 5 overall prospect jump-started Mesa with a leadoff homer en route to a 4-for-5 night as the Solar Sox pounded Los Mochis of the Mexican Pacific League, 15-2, at Sloan Park.

Coming into the contest, the top Angels prospect was 1-for-24 with nine strikeouts in five AFL games. Realizing he needed a change of approach, he simplified his thought process at the plate. The results came almost instantly.
Adell led off the home half of the first inning with his first big fly of the fall, launching a 1-0 pitch from starter Luis Pino over the center field wall and setting the tone for the rest of the night. The 2017 first-round pick ended up reaching five times, tacking on three singles and a walk. 
"I feel like I did a much better job keeping everything simple," Adell said. "Earlier on, starting out in the AFL, I felt like I was trying to do too much and generate too much. I just let the ball come to me and put a good swing on it."
 Gameday box score
Adell missed the first eight weeks of the Minor League season due to two injuries sustained simultaneously during Spring Training. The second-ranked outfield prospect strained his left hamstring and sprained his right ankle while running the bases in a split-squad Cactus League game against the Cubs. The kicker? The injuries occurred at Sloan Park. 
"It's good to know this field's not cursed," Adell said with a laugh.
Despite the missed time, the 20-year-old earned two midseason promotions, finishing the year with Triple-A Salt Lake. He compiled a .289/.359/.475 slash line across three levels and swatted 10 homers in 76 games. The Angels opted to send Adell to the AFL to make up for the at-bats he missed at the beginning of the season.

"Since I missed a couple months this season, I'm really focused on getting those at-bats that I've missed," the Louisville native said. "That's really the big thing -- getting those at-bats and working the corners defensively."
Wednesday served as a much-needed sign that those at-bats are paying off. 
"At the end of the day, I'm trusting my process and what's made me great," Adell said. "That's what I had to get back to."
A's No. 17 prospect Greg Deichmann ripped his third Fall League homer, a three-run shot in the first, and totaled four RBIs for Mesa, while second-ranked Angels prospect Brandon Marsh and Padres infielder Nick Allen each drove in two runs. 

Katie Woo is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow her on Twitter @katiejwoo.