Extreme strikeout rates are killing this Angels slugger's season

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May 27, 2026 - 22:19

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Extreme strikeout rates are killing this Angels slugger's season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Angels came out and surprised plenty when the 2026 season got underway. They played solid baseball during the month of April, with inspiring performances from Jo Adell, Mike Trout, and Jose Soriano.

They were able to stay within .500 baseball during the month, but things have since changed. The team is struggling, holding together a 21-34 record, which puts them in last place in the American League West.

From late April to early May, the club went on an 11-game losing streak and has not been able to rebound. And there isn't much hope of turning this thing around.

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Extreme strikeout rates are killing this Angels slugger's season

One player who was a bright spot for the team last season was Jo Adell. Across 152 games, he hit .236/.293/.485 with a career-high 37 home runs and 98 runs batted in.

However, he has taken a significant step backward this year. Across 55 games, he has hit .245/.293/.392 with eight home runs and 29 runs batted in.

With this, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer tags Adell as the Angels' least valuable player.

"To be fair, that one game where he robbed three home runs was epic. Alas, Adell's OPS is still down over 100 points from last year, and he's contributed 52 strikeouts to the Angels' MLB-leading 516. And that's against only seven walks, to boot."

Adell's strikeout rates are not helping a team that strikes out more than any other team across MLB. Pitchers have realized they don't need to attack the zone with Adell. They can nibble around the strike zone and get him to chase.

If he wants to turn his season around, he's got to get better with his plate discipline and sit on pitches that he can do damage on, which is easier said than done.