Former Major League Baseball (MLB) player Jordyn Adams is retiring from baseball to take a different sporting career path.
The former outfielder will be playing college football for the SMU Mustangs in Dallas. Adams tagged SMU Football’s Instagram account in his Instagram account’s bio.
Multi-sport high school phenom and three-year MLB career
The Los Angeles Angels drafted Adams with the 17th overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft out of Green Hope High School in Cary, N.C.
Adams was a dual-sport athlete at Green Hope, playing both football and baseball. In football, he was a five-star wide receiver and a top-15 player in the 2018 high school class nationally, according to 247Sports. In baseball, Adams was a top 35 player in the 2018 high school class nationally, according to Perfect Game.
Before being drafted by the Angels and choosing a professional career solely in baseball, he was committed to the North Carolina Tar Heels for both football and baseball.
Adams made his debut with the Angels on August 2, 2023. He went hitless that day in a 12-5 loss for Los Angeles against the Atlanta Braves.
After spending 2023 and 2024 with the Angels, Adams signed with the Baltimore Orioles on a minor league contract before the 2025 MLB season. He played 10 games with the Orioles that season.
In 79 total at-bats with the Angels and Orioles, Adams finished with 13 hits and five RBIs. The first and only home run of his MLB career came on September 11, 2024, when the Los Angeles Angels played the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.
His home run cut the Twins’ lead down to 4-3. However, Minnesota would hold on and win that game 6-4.
First home run for Jordyn Adams in the Bigs! Brings the Angels closer as the Twins lead 4-3.#RepTheHalo #GoHalos #Angels #LTBU pic.twitter.com/Jm3aau11q9
— Locked On Angels (@LockedOnAngels) September 12, 2024
Adams was recently released from the Milwaukee Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate, the Nashville Sounds, on May 25. He spent 27 games in the Brewers’ organization.
Adams is heading to SMU in 2026
Adams will join the SMU Mustangs for the 2026-27 college football season.
Last season, SMU finished with a 9-4 overall record and a 6-2 record in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play. The Mustangs won their final game of the season against the Arizona Wildcats in the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl by a score of 24-19.
SMU’s first football game of the 2026-27 season is on Monday, September 7, against the Florida State Seminoles. That game is on the road for the Mustangs at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET, and the game is on ESPN.
For more MLB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb/
PHOTO: Los Angeles Angels’ Jordyn Adams reacts to striking out to end the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
