Joe Adell Delivers Incredible Defensive Performance
When a nine-time Gold Glove Award winner like Torii Hunter labels your performance as “probably the greatest defensive game I’ve ever seen,” it certainly means something remarkable has happened.
Hunter, now a special assistant for the Los Angeles Angels, praised Joe Adell after the right fielder made three outstanding catches in the ninth inning, even crashing into the seats near the right field foul pole during Saturday night’s tense 1-0 win against the Seattle Mariners.
Watching from the bench, Hunter exclaimed, “I’ve never seen three home runs robbed in one game, and I’ve definitely never seen a player fall into the stands, catch a ball, and keep his feet underneath him like a wide receiver.” He added he was so excited that he almost fainted.
Adell, who has faced defensive struggles in past seasons, emerged as a Gold Glove finalist in 2024. He managed to catch a fastball hit toward right field in the first inning, robbing Cal Raleigh of a home run, and duplicated that feat against Josh Naylor in the eighth inning.
Then, in a critical moment in the ninth, JP Crawford launched a ball toward the right-field corner. Adell sprinted, pounced on the ball, flipped it over a low wall, and tumbled into the front row before securing the catch, which survived a replay review.
“I was pretty fired up after the first game,” Adell remarked. “When I got to the second catch, which felt just like the first, I thought, ‘Wow, my route was spot on tonight.’ The last one was all about guts; top of the ninth, we had to get it done. It was wild.”
He continued, “It’s all about decision-making. The ball was high enough for me to get there. I fell into someone’s lap, and I’m not sure who it was, but it was a softer landing than I expected. The fans were just as excited as I was.”
Interestingly, Adell has now hit ten home runs since 2020, a tally that ties him with Kyle Tucker of the Dodgers for the most in the majors. In comparison, Jacob Young of the Nationals and Fernando Tatis of the Padres led the outfielders in home runs during the 2025 season, each having four.
It seems this was the first instance in baseball where a player made three home runs in one game, and Hunter described Adell’s last catch as something out of a movie. “It felt like there was background music. When he caught that ball, he went down, and I couldn’t see him. Then the music stopped, and he popped back up saying, ‘Yeah!’ It was unbelievable.”
Hunter has played a significant role in helping Adell improve his defensive skills over the years. Adell remarked, “His influence was huge. It’s a mental thing, an aggressive mindset when going after the baseball. I’ve made mistakes, sure, but you’d be surprised how many plays you can make when you play with that aggression he embodies.”
