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Stop me if you’ve heard this before, the Angels have selected an incredibly athletic, prep outfielder. This year, they have selected North Carolina outfielder, Jordyn Adams. If you want to get to know Jordyn more, check out this interview with Baseball America.
Much like the Jahmai Jones and Brandon Marsh picks, Adams has a background as a two-way athlete with football being his other talent. But he’s not just some football player, he has a commitment with the University of North Carolina to play wide receiver, the same team where his dad, Deke, is the defensive line coach. The Angels, then, must feel like Adams will sign somewhere close to his slot amount of $3,472,900 (the Angels by the way have a total bonus pool of $6,984,400).
The Angels seem to be loading up on athletes in the Eppler era after selecting Jo Adell in the first round last year, Marsh in the second round the year before that, and the Dipoto/Wilson staff selecting Jones in the second round in 2015. While many thought they would select pitching or high-upside infield help, they were still in a position to take the best player available. While the farm system has taken enormous steps in recent years, the Halos are not in a position to get choosy. Plus, it’s not like all of the outfielders currently in the pipeline will pan out.
But this is a time to rejoice to those of you who question selecting another outfielder. The farm system is on the upswing, and the directing/scouting departments seem to finally be comfortable in going after upside and raw talent over the safe, collegiate picks in the previous regime.
If you needed any video evidence, or proof, of Adams’ athleticism, look no further than this video of him putting some poor soul on a poster.
Let’s welcome the newest member of the Angels family! Welcome, Jordyn Adams, I’m sure we all look forward to seeing your growth and progress through the farm system.