Opinion: Jo Adell puts on a defensive masterpiece

Jo Adell (Facebook)

You could make the argument that Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jo Adell of Shelby, North Carolina had one of the single greatest games defensively by a Major League Baseball outfielder on Saturday in a 1-0 Angels win over the Seattle Mariners. Adell reached over the wall three times during the game and prevented three home runs from being scored by Seattle.

The first highlight reel catch came in the first inning and prevented Seattle Mariners slugging catcher Cal Raleigh from hitting a monster shot. The second highlight reel catch came in the top of the eighth inning and this time prevented Canadian Josh Naylor from tying the game at one run apiece. The third highlight reel catch came in the top of the ninth inning. Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford hit a deep fly ball to right field. This time Adell dove into the stands to make the catch. The Mariners challenged the non-home run call, and upon video review the out call was upheld.

What Adell achieved on Saturday was simply a spectacle that we may never see again.  According to Dom Izzo of WDAY Sports North Dakota, “we may have had the play of the year in baseball on the ninth day of the season.”

With the victory, the Angels improved to a record of four wins and five losses. They then improved to the .500 mark with an 8-7 win over the Mariners on Sunday in a game that went into 11 innings to determine the winner. Adell had a RBI base hit in Sunday’s contest and contributed to the Angels’s fourth run.