Jo Adell: Prospect Profile, MLB Comparison for Angels' 5-Tool 1st-Round Pick

Player: Jo Adell

Position: OF

DOB: April 8, 1999 (18 years old)

Height/Weight: 6'2", 195 lbs

Bats/Throws: R/R

School: Ballard HS (Ky.)

College Commitment: Louisville

Background

Saying Jo Adell put up video game-type numbers this spring would be an understatement.

I've played my fair share of MVP Baseball and MLB The Show over the years and never saw anything remotely resembling his stat line, even with a souped-up create-a-player.

The Ballard High School standout hit .562/.667/1.437 and led the high school ranks with 25 home runs in 138 plate appearances—one every 5.5 times he stepped to the plate.

To put that into perspective, Barry Bonds homered once every 9.1 plate appearances for the San Francisco Giants during his record-setting 73-homer campaign in 2001.

Adell added nine doubles, 53 runs scored, 61 RBI and 21 stolen bases while striking out just 10 times in his 35 games this spring, earning Gatorade Player of the Year honors in the Bluegrass State for his efforts.

"Jo Adell is an incredible athlete," Ballard head coach David Trager told Gatorade. "He brings so much to the table with his skill set but also is one of our best leaders. He has been everything that you could ask for in a senior and as a leader."

With Hunter Greene and Brendan McKay both likely headed for careers on the mound, Adell might have the highest ceiling of any position player in the 2017 draft.

Pick Analysis

The term "toolsy" gets thrown around a lot when talking about draft prospects, and Adell has a toolbox that stacks up to any prospect in recent memory.

Baseball America painted the picture of what scouts see when evaluating Adell:

"Adell's explosive raw tools are rarely matched. He's a workout legend, capable of running a 6.4 60-yard dash, smacking a 450-foot home run with a wood bat or making a 70-grade throw from the outfield. He's got all the body cliches--the high-waist, the broad shoulders and the defined muscles stretching his sleeves. When the players walk off the bus, Adell's the guy scouts want."

That glowing review came with some significant question marks, though:

"The degree to which Adell translates those attributes into baseball-specific skills will determine whether or not he becomes a superstar. On the summer showcase circuit--both as a rising junior and then again as a rising senior--Adell's game skills were raw. He'd botch plays in the outfield and often expand the strike zone and swing at bad pitches. Every so often, though, he'd do something flashy to remind scouts of his promise."

The sky is the limit for Adell, but make no mistake, he's among the biggest risk/reward targets in this year's draft.

Pro Comparison: Melvin Upton Jr.

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

There are plenty of potential comparisons to be made when it comes to a prospect with elite physical tools like Adell.

MLB.com wrote: "Adell has the best all-around tools in the 2017 draft, and his physical gifts have drawn comparisons to Byron Buxton and Melvin Upton Jr."

Adell may never become the elite defender in center field that Buxton already is, but the Upton comparison seems like a good fit.

That might not sound like a compliment, but let's think back to what Upton could have been, back long before he ditched the "B.J." in favor of "Melvin Jr." in his name.

After going No. 2 overall in the 2002 draft, Upton debuted in the majors at the age of 19 and looked like a bona fide superstar in the making during his age-22 campaign, when he hit .300/.386/.508 with 24 home runs and 22 stolen bases.

However, that proved to be his peak rather than the start of something big. Now he's probably best known for the ill-advised five-year, $75.25 million deal the Atlanta Braves gave him in free agency.

Adell possesses a lot of the same exciting tools that made Upton an uber-prospect coming out of high school and he'll face many of the same pitfalls as he tries to reach his lofty ceiling—a ceiling that could see him emerge as a power/speed threat in the mold of Ron Gant or Eric Davis.

For now, though, we'll stick with the Upton comp.

Projection: An everyday center fielder and potential 30/30 star if his hit tool develops. Otherwise, he'll rely on his glove and wheels to provide value.

Major League ETA: 2021

Chances of Signing: 99 percent

Adell has seen his stock rise to the point that it's all but certain he'll begin his pro career as opposed to honoring his commitment to Louisville.

High school stats courtesy of MaxPreps.