Jarred Kelenic is back.
The Seattle Mariners outfielder, once one of the top prospects in the game, struggled mightily his first two seasons. At only 23 it was too early to call him a bust, perhaps, but many fans had lost faith. The Mariners were reportedly shopping him at the trade deadline, but couldn’t work a deal.
Now, Kelenic looks like a new player in spring training. Sunday, he crushed a home run over the batter’s eye off Milwaukee Brewers All-Star reliever Devin Williams.
It was Kelenic’s fourth home run this spring to lead all players.
Kelenic is now 7-for-17 this spring, a .412 average. Yes, it’s early, and yes, it’s only spring training, but those numbers are a far cry from what Kelenic posted his first two seasons. In 500 at-bats, he is hitting only .168, with a 66 OPS+ and 167 strikeouts. While he has 21 home runs, he has looked overmatched.
Not this spring.
Mariners fans and other baseball observers hope Kelenic has truly turned the corner and is ready to live up to the promise he showed in the minors.
I guess I’m going to have to dig the Kelenic rookies out of the trash can
— Bostondirtdog21 (@bostondirtdog21) March 5, 2023