Four days turns a career around?

[Michael K.]

By Sofia Schwarzwalder
Seattle Times staff reporter

Former Mariner Jarred Kelenic, who is riding a hot streak after early struggles in Triple-A, is returning to the big leagues. The White Sox promoted Kelenic on Wednesday after outfielder Everson Pereira was put on the 10-day injured list.

Kelenic recently hit four home runs in four days with the White Sox’s Triple-A affiliate team after a rough start to the season.

Just a few weeks ago, Kelenic had the second-worst OPS (. 165) in all of Triple-A, going 1 for 22 in a seven game stretch that included 25 at-bats with 10 strikeouts.

It’s been a challenging five years for the outfielder who was picked in the first round of the 2018 draft and made his MLB debut in 2021. Kelenic, now 26, was once thought to be a cornerstone for the Mariners alongside Julio Rodriguez.

Heading into this year’s season, Kelenic signed a minor league contract with the White Sox that included an invitation to spring training. He failed to make the White Sox’s Opening Day roster and has been playing with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights.

Kelenic spoke on the recent turnaround with FutureSox reporter Jeff Cohen on Tuesday.


“I knew that at some point, if I just kept doing what I was doing that the ball was going to start finding some grass and that’s what is finally happening,” Kelenic said when asked about what had changed after a slow start to the season.


The outfielder said he hadn’t made any major changes, rather attributing the rough start to the season as a lot of “hard outs” where he was “hitting the ball right up the middle at guys.”

“I just continued to work and work and work and just continued to control the strike zone and swing at the right pitches,” Kelenic said.

Kelenic made his MLB debut with the Mariners in May 2021. He played in 252 games across three seasons with the Mariners, slashing .204/.283/373. The team ultimately traded Kelenic, along with left-handed pitcher Marco Gonzales and first baseman Evan White, to the Braves in December 2023, saying goodbye to the former top prospect.

Kelenic spent two seasons with the Braves. During his second year in Atlanta, Kelenic bounced between the Braves and Triple-A Gwinnett, playing 24 games for the Braves and struggling in his appearances with both teams.

Sofia Schwarzwalder: sschwarzwalder@seattletimes.com. Sofia Schwarzwalder is a general assignment sports reporter at The Seattle Times, where she covers breaking and trending news across all beats.

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mar ... subscriber

[D-train]

If dude didn't get injured he would still be in Charlotte. Guessing hitting MLB pitching will still be a challenge....Even after the hot "streak" he is hitting .200 in AAA.

[bpj]

I for one love Jarred Kelenic, always have, and wish him the best.

Hopefully he doesnt get his ass kicked by any more coolers.

[Seattle or Bust]

I think Jarred's brain will always be his hang up.

I watched an interview done in the dugout after his recent hot stretch and it always seems there's just a lot of empty space where tangible thoughts struggle to collect themselves.

He's got a lot of athletic talent, but man... he just seems really, really dumb.

[GL_Storm]

I think specializing in baseball at an early age didn't do him any favors. There's a whole industry now around amateur baseball (and other sports as well), and I don't think it's good for these kids to have all these expectations piled on them like that when only a handful will ever have major league careers.

[D-train]

I think specializing in baseball at an early age didn't do him any favors. There's a whole industry now around amateur baseball (and other sports as well), and I don't think it's good for these kids to have all these expectations piled on them like that when only a handful will ever have major league careers.

Or the expectations that Jerry piled on Colt when he said he is so close:

[GL_Storm]

I think specializing in baseball at an early age didn't do him any favors. There's a whole industry now around amateur baseball (and other sports as well), and I don't think it's good for these kids to have all these expectations piled on them like that when only a handful will ever have major league careers.

Or the expectations that Jerry piled on Colt when he said he is so close:

Well yeah. There was really no point to saying that. But he can't help himself I guess.

[AlvinDavisFan21]

I like Kelenic also. Hope he does well and stays with the White Sox.

[D-train]

I like Kelenic also. Hope he does well and stays with the White Sox.

Curious. What exactly do you like about him. I found him to be the least likeable Mariner in team history.

[Captain 97]

I think Jarred's brain will always be his hang up.

I watched an interview done in the dugout after his recent hot stretch and it always seems there's just a lot of empty space where tangible thoughts struggle to collect themselves.

He's got a lot of athletic talent, but man... he just seems really, really dumb.

I don't think hes dumb. I just think his supposed talent was overblown. People repeated the "all the talent in the world" line enough that it became accepted as fact even though all the stats show otherwise.

Even his AAA numbers are pedestrian. He has a pretty large sample size down there and he is a .260 hitter with an .800 OPS and striking out 27% of his AB's. The PCL League average last year was .271 with a .803 OPS. He is basically an average AAA player and I don't think he was ever going to be a standout Big Leaguer even if he was the most mentally adept player ever.