CLEVELAND -- Jo Adell was a few steps around first base on Wednesday when he stopped to unleash an impassioned shout and fist pump. He was reciprocating the energy of a raucous Progressive Field crowd after he delivered a two-run single in the third inning of the Guardians’ 6-3 win over the White Sox.
September is defined by high-stakes games with heightened atmospheres in the push for the postseason. But moments such as Wednesday’s are relatively new to Adell, who’s playing meaningful baseball this month for the first time in his big league career.
The 27-year-old is relishing every second of it.
“You want to be in an environment where you're playing September baseball that means something,” Adell said. “I'm just really excited and glad I could help these guys and be here for it.”
Adell spent his first 6 1/2 seasons with the Angels, who have not reached the postseason since 2014. From '20-25, the Halos finished anywhere from eight to 36 games under .500, meaning they were often not in the playoff picture come September.
Adell has played two postseason games as a professional, both in 2017, while he was in Rookie ball. The Guardians acquired him from the Angels before the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline this year, and he’s now helping Cleveland in its push for a third straight AL Central division title.
The Guardians (78-75) took a half-game lead over the White Sox (77-75) for first place in the Central on Wednesday with their series-clinching win.
“It's been unreal, just being able to come to the field in September like this and have this second wave of energy of going out there and getting it,” Adell said. “In the past, I’ve experienced very tough Septembers when it comes to finishing the season.
"It's really easy to just walk in this clubhouse and get fired up to play a baseball game, and you know that it matters."
The Guardians have been fired up to have Adell, both on the field and in the clubhouse. Manager Stephen Vogt described him as an “80” human being, referencing baseball’s 20-80 scouting scale.
Adell has also added something the left-handed-leaning Guardians sorely needed: a right-handed hitter with power. In 39 games with Cleveland, he has slashed .241/.317/.428. He leads the Guardians with nine doubles, six home runs and 30 RBIs since Aug. 4.
“It’s a phenomenal human that has brought a lot of value to this team,” Vogt said of Adell. “What he can do offensively in the middle of the order, we just haven't had it. We haven’t had that bat where if you make a mistake, it's going to go a long way.
“That brings fear, that brings danger. It's just been a huge presence in the middle of the order for us.”
We’ve seen that a few times over the past six weeks. In Tuesday’s 7-6 win over the White Sox, Adell belted a Statcast-projected 442-foot home run that gave the Guardians a 2-0 lead in the first inning. He has hit four of the seven-longest home runs by a Cleveland player this season.
Adell hit a Statcast-projected 455-foot three-run homer on Aug. 18 against the Giants; a 451-foot solo shot on Sunday vs. the Twins; and a 450-foot three-run blast on Aug. 22 against the Rockies.
“He’s a really good player,” shortstop Brayan Rocchio said. “He came to us with one goal: to help us win and make the playoffs. That's how it looks.”
Vogt, who played 10 big league seasons from 2012-22, related to the experience of playing on a non-contending team in September. It can be easy to count down the days left in the season. You want to win, but a game may feature more significant individual achievements than on a team level.
This has been an energizing stretch for Adell.
"He’s having fun,” Vogt said. “Playing winning baseball, playing meaningful games in September, you look at someone like that who's rarely done that. It's fun. It gets taken for granted when you get to do it often. We don't take it for granted at all. This is special.
“When you're playing meaningful games in September, it means something.”
It’s something Adell is grateful to be experiencing, and this may only be the first step.
The Guardians are in a prime position to make the postseason. With nine games left in the regular season, it may not be long before Adell gets his first taste of it
“I think that's what every ballplayer wants to be able to say that they do as often as they can, is get to the dance like that,” Adell said. “We're shooting for it, so we're excited.”