There’s a player who’s been hitting big to rival Shohei Ohtani. Los Angeles Angels teammate Joe Adel.
The Angels completed a three-game series sweep of the 2023 Major League Baseball Chicago Cubs with a 3-1 victory at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, on Sept. 9 (ET). They improved to 34-30 on the season.
Adel’s performance in the sixth spot in right field was notable. Down 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning, Adel came up to bat and fired up the cannon. He lined a two-seam 91.1-mph sinker from Cubs’ Drew Smyly. It sailed over the left field fence. It’s the biggest home run of the season.
The distance and velocity of the hit were particularly impressive. It traveled 117.2 mph (188.6 km/h) and stuck 451 feet (137 meters). It was the fastest hit by an Angels player this season, according to MLB.com.
The previous fastest hit was by Ohtani 토토사이트. He hit several 118-mph (189.9 km/h) balls last season. Ohtani’s 118 mph home run is the fastest in Angels history since Statcast began keeping track in 2015.
Adel has yet to break Ohtani’s record, but he has the fastest home run velocity on the team this season.
Adel is a highly touted prospect who was selected by the Angels with the 10th pick in the first round of the 2017 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. He made his big league debut in 2020, hitting .161 with three home runs and seven RBIs in 38 games. He improved in 2021, hitting .246 with four home runs and 26 RBIs in 35 games, and last year he hit .224 with eight home runs and 27 RBIs in 88 games. He drew just 11 walks and struck out 107 times.
Adel, who was called up for the first time this season on Aug. 8, hit a game-winning home run in the first game of the sweep. On the day, Adel went 1-for-3 with a home run, a walk and a strikeout.
