First-round MLB draft pick quits football, will pursue baseball career
They already have the best player in baseball (Mike Trout).
They have the latest member of the 3,000 hit club (Albert Pujols).
And they have the modern-day Babe Ruth (Shohei Ohtani).
We’re talking, of course, about the Los Angeles Angels, who continue to collect the most eclectic group of talent in baseball.
In Monday’s MLB draft, LA decided to raid the gridiron for what it hopes will be the organization’s next great outfielder.
Jordyn Adams was planning on playing football at the University of North Carolina this fall, and he’s rated as the 13th-best high school wide receiver in the country.
But when the Angels called to make him the 17th pick in the first round of the baseball draft, Jordyn made his decision quickly. He’s passing up the NCAA for MLB.
“God has blessed me with a Win Win situation and after talking to my family we have decided that it’s best for me to pursue my professional baseball career,” Adams said on Twitter.
#TheHaloWay pic.twitter.com/now5i4ivpG
— Jordyn Adams (@jordynadams10) June 5, 2018
It was a classy move for Adams to thank the Tar Heels coaches — Larry Fedora in football and Mike Fox in baseball — especially considering he never played for either.
MLB.com describes Adams this way:
“He employs a big leg kick and doesn’t have much track record offensively, but he has the upside of a solid hitter with 15-20 home runs per year.
“Adams most explosive tool is his speed, which earns top-of-the-scale 80 grades from some evaluators.
“Just with his sheer quickness, Adams can steal bases and cover a lot of ground in center field, and could potentially be elite if he devotes his full attention to baseball.”
Of course, there’s also the financial aspect.
As a college football player, Adams would not be paid, although he could play professional baseball in the offseason and earn his money.
Instead, he’s slotted to sign a contract with Los Angeles worth $3.74 million and be a one-sport star.
Oakland A’s pick Kyler Murray apparently plans on playing pro baseball and college football; he’s likely to be the starting quarterback at Oklahoma. As the ninth pick in the draft, Murray is slated to earn $4.76 million.
There’s no telling how the Angels will do on the field over the next couple of years, but we do know one thing: They’ll be interesting.
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