Triple-A Salt Lake Bees opening day roster includes Jo Adell

The Salt Lake Bees, Triple-A affiliate of the Angels, begin their season on Thursday night at home against Reno. On Monday, the Bees unveiled their roster, headlined by Jo Adell, one of 18 players on the team with major league experience.

Adell entered 2020 as one a consensus top-10 prospect in baseball, but with no minor league season the Angels chose to call him up to the majors rather than have him continue his development at the alternate training site at Long Beach State. Adell struggled mightily, hitting just .161/.212/.266 and a 41.7-percent strikeout rate in 38 games with several defensive lapses in the outfield.

With the Bees, Adell will get a chance to play regularly, and at just 22 years old his major league future remains bright. He played 27 games with Salt Lake in 2019, hitting .264/.321/.355. That’s part of a pattern with Adell, who has struggled early upon reaching new levels, only to eventually tear them apart on his climb of the minor league ladder.

“At my level there were things he needed to work on. He had to go through the process of Low-A and move on. It seems like at each level he’s made those adjustments and shown the things he needs to continue to do to improve,” said Jack Howell — who managed Adell at Class-A Burlington — last year. “The best thing I can say is that it’s no surprise he’s moving like he is.”

Though Adell hasn’t played in the majors yet this season, the Bees roster includes four players who have already appeared with the Angels in 2021 — Jaime Barria, Juan Lagares, Luis Rengifo, and Jon Jay.

Expected to join Salt Lake at some point is outfielder Brandon Marsh, who was added to the 40-man roster in November.

Of the 25 players listed by the Bees, the only catcher listed is Jack Kruger, which suggests either more catching will be added, or Taylor Ward — who was a PCL All-Star with Salt Lake in 2019 — will catch more often, after getting reacquainted to the position in spring training.

Triple-A Salt Lake Bees roster

Right-handed pitchers (9): Jaime Barria, Boomer Biegalski, Jake Faria, Noé Ramirez, AJ Ramos, Jake Reed, Zac Ryan, Andrew Wantz, Austin Warren

Left-handed pitchers (5): Thomas Pannone, Dillon Peters, José Quijada, Patrick Sandoval, José Suarez

Catchers (2): Jack Kruger, Taylor Ward

Infielders (5): Luis Rengifo, Matt Thaiss, Phil Gosselin, Luis Aviles Jr., Kean Wong

Outfielders (4): Jo Adell, Jon Jay, Juan Lagares, Brennon Lund