TEMPE, Ariz. — Jo Adell hit a homer and ripped a single in his first two at-bats of the Angels exhibition game on Saturday, but it was his third plate appearance that left an impression on Joe Maddon.

Adell walked.

The Angels manager sought out the young outfielder immediately and told him why drawing a walk against Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks was so important.

“Anybody can hit a homer or steal a base, but that’s the kind of at-bat that keeps you in the big leagues,” Maddon told Adell. “That’s what impressed me. If you have at-bats like that, you can do the other things you are looking for. If you don’t have those at-bats, you can’t.”

Adell’s improvement has been apparent throughout this brief spring training, giving the Angels hope that the player who was once considered one of the top five prospects in the sport might be ready to meet that potential.

“I cannot be more impressed with improvement with a young player in a very short period of time,” Maddon said.

Adell, who turns 23 on April 8, has six hits in his first 19 spring training at-bats, with three homers and a triple. He also walked twice and struck out five times.

“His physical (hitting) mechanics have improved so much in a short amount of time you normally don’t see that,” Maddon said. “Combine that with he also has a really strong mental approach. He’s pretty good at organizing the strike zone and making pitchers throw the ball over the plate. He’s not a big chase guy. And you’ve seen the power.”

So far in the majors, Adell’s performance has been a mixed bag. In 2020 he endured a miserable debut, hitting .161 with a .478 OPS. The Angels dispatched him back to the minors for most of 2021, and then he finally returned in August and demonstrated he’d learned some things. He hit .246 with a .703 OPS.

“I’m making better decisions at the plate,” he said. “The more you go, the more you play, you continue to get in the rhythm of it. You are starting to see guys that you’ve seen before. That helps with understanding how they’re going to attack you when I’m up to bat.”

Adell said he’s also gotten comfortable enough in the big leagues to stop focusing so much on all of the mechanical elements that have been drilled into him by coaches.

“There’s a point in time we got to look at yourself and say, ‘Just be an athlete,’” Adell said. “We’re athletes. We train to come out and to run and make plays. And you know, if I just tell myself to be an athlete, you know, there’s really nothing else to do.”

Adell spent the entire winter in Arizona — the first time in his career he’d done so — and part of that time was spent working out with Shohei Ohtani.

“It’s probably the best thing that ever happened,” Adell said. “He’s one of the hardest workers I know, and I think I work pretty hard myself. That was really awesome. It’s just six days a week, nonstop. I’m going to take some pieces from what he’s doing and see if I can implement it in my own game.”

Defensively, Adell also had some work to do, from a rough start in 2020. He memorably had a ball bounce off his glove and over the fence for a four-base error. Last season he showed improvement, and Maddon said he’s continued to get better.

“Even on popups, just watch how he catches the ball with his feet,” Maddon said. “His feet are always moving. His arm has gotten better.”

Although Adell has gotten better, it’s still unclear what his role will be when the season starts.

The Angels outfield is a jumble at the corners, with Justin Upton, Taylor Ward, Brandon Marsh and Adell all fighting for time flanking center fielder Mike Trout.

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Maddon recently hinted that Adell might not be the top choice for one of the starting spots. Asked if Adell was ready to be an everyday player, Maddon said: “He’s getting there. I can’t tell you that yet. He’s young. He’s very inexperienced. Today we want to microwave stuff all the time. … I prefer that he just takes his time and understands the game completely.”

Adell said he’s trying not to play roster management games in his head.

“I think everyone here knows how hard it is to play this game,” Adell said. “We know decisions are going to be made that are out of our hands. Those two things are the biggest things that keep you out of thinking about where I should be, what position I should be playing, who’s doing what compared to me.

“We’re all here getting better. We’re all here grinding. All these guys are great. This is probably one of the best groups I’ve been around since I’ve been with the Angels. It’s a great group. I look forward to coming to the field. I’ve gotten here earlier this year because I’m so excited to be with these guys.”