Adell, Marsh heading back to Angels camp

Top 100 outfield prospects lead group of 19 non-roster invitees

In 224 Minor League games, Jo Adell is a .298 hitter with 35 homers and an .878 OPS. (Paul Asay/Salt Lake Bees)

By Joe Bloss

January 31, 2020

A preview of the Angels' outfield of the future could be on display when Cactus League games start in three weeks.Los Angeles on Friday extended Spring Training invitations to 19 non-roster players, including top prospects Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh. It will be the second year in a row the

A preview of the Angels' outfield of the future could be on display when Cactus League games start in three weeks.
Los Angeles on Friday extended Spring Training invitations to 19 non-roster players, including top prospects Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh. It will be the second year in a row the outfield duo attends big league camp in Tempe, Arizona.

Leg injuries suffered during Cactus League play last spring kept Adell -- MLB.com's No. 6 overall prospect -- out of game action until late May. He made up for the lost time in 43 games for Double-A Mobile, hitting .308/.390/.553 with eight home runs, 15 doubles and a 10.4 percent walk rate, the best mark for the free-swinging righty at any level.
Adell moved up to Triple-A Salt Lake on Aug. 1 and finished the season with the Bees. He couldn't recreate the power he flashed across the lower levels -- Adell slugged .532 and .543 in 2017 and 2018, respectively -- compiling a .264/.321/.355 slash line with no homers in 121 at-bats. The 20-year-old struck out in 32.6 percent of his Pacific Coast League at-bats. After the season, he spent time in the Arizona Fall League and suited up for Team USA in the Premier 12 tournament.

Marsh joined Adell on the Mesa Solar Sox in the fall circuit, where his .909 OPS ranked fifth. It was a fitting cap to a standout season for the No. 79 overall prospect. Aside from a five-game rehab stint, Marsh spent all of 2019 with Mobile and batted .300/.383/.428 in 360 at-bats. His 127 wRC+ was good for fourth in the Angels system. Remove the 22-year-old's rehab stint and that number rises to 137, 13th-best among all qualified Double-A batters.
Seventeen other players scored Spring Training invitations: starting pitchers Matt Ball, Adrian De Horta, Luiz Gohara and Jake Thompson; relievers Jacob Barnes, Hoby Milner, Neil Ramírez, and Jose Rodriguez; catchers Josè Briceño, Jack Kruger, Keinner Piña, Franklin Torres and Harrison Wenson; infielders Arismendy Alcantara, Jose Rojas and Elliot Soto; and outfielder Brennon Lund.
Pitchers and catchers report to Angels camp on Feb. 12. The club's first full squad workout is Feb. 17.

Joe Bloss is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @jtbloss.