Kelenic enjoying much-needed change of scenery with Atlanta

NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Whether talking to Jarred Kelenic at Braves Fest or during these early days of Spring Training, it’s been obvious he is extremely happy in his new environment.

“This organization does a lot of the little things that other organizations might not do,” Kelenic said. “They really focus on their craft and when they do drills, they give 110 percent. That’s what matters.”

Kelenic has been pleased with everything he has experienced since being traded to the Braves from the Mariners in December. He hit with Matt Olson in Atlanta a few weeks back and he has already formed a bond with potential hunting buddy Austin Riley. It hasn’t taken him long to feel like one of the guys.

“A lot of the guys have just treated me like I’ve been here for a while,” Kelenic said. “That’s been super encouraging because we’re about to go to war here in a few weeks. It’s been fun.”

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Finding early comfort should prove beneficial to Kelenic, who has been surrounded by pressure since the Mets took him with the sixth overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. Expectations grew when the Mariners used Edwin Díaz and Robinson Canó to acquire him at the end of the 2018 season.

Kelenic ranked as MLB’s No. 4 prospect as recently as 2021, but the early go hasn’t been easy for the 24-year-old outfielder, who has constructed a .656 OPS through his first three big league seasons (252 games).

“He’s a very talented young man,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “Now it’s all about getting results.”

A change of scenery could certainly benefit Kelenic, who wasn’t always happy with Mariners management. His argument that the team delayed bringing him to the big league level for financial reasons was weakened after he debuted on May 13, 2021. His stay with Seattle was short. He was optioned to Triple-A after hitting .096 (8-for-83) with two homers and a .378 OPS over 23 games.

Kelenic returned to the Majors after the All-Star break and showed signs of encouragement, hitting .209 with 12 homers and a .693 OPS over the final 70 games. He spent much of 2022 at the Triple-A level, but a few late September homers earned him a postseason roster spot. Encouragement grew as he hit .308 with seven homers and a .982 OPS through his first 26 games with Seattle last year.

But he experienced a decline in May and had hit just four homers over a 64-game stretch when he fractured his foot by kicking a dugout water cooler. The July 19 incident sidelined him for nearly two months.

“I just wasn't consistent,” Kelenic said. “I had a lot of external thoughts that were kind of messing with me. I had a lot of people in my ear. I have a lot of things that I've been working on this offseason that will allow me to be a little bit more consistent, with just how my body moves.”

Kelenic’s attempt to be more athletic with his stance and swing mechanics certainly could help reduce his swing-and-miss frequency. He was on pace to hit 20-plus homers last year, but he also had a 31.7% strikeout rate.

This reality gives him another reason to believe he may have landed in the right spot. As Ronald Acu?a Jr. produced his historic 40-70 season last year, he incredibly reduced his strikeout rate from 23.6% to 11.4%. Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna also reduced their respective strikeout rates while tallying 40-plus homers last year.

“Our lineup is just disgusting,” Kelenic said. “I’m just going to focus on myself and whatever I can do to help the team win every day. If we have nine guys in the lineup doing that, I think we’re going to win a lot.”

Kelenic is a better defender than his left field predecessor Eddie Rosario and he is certainly capable of trumping the 21 homers and .755 OPS that Rosario produced last year. But as the newcomer preps for his fourth big league season, he’s hoping to start hearing far less about capabilities and potential.

“This is a good place to come for a young guy because we have a lot of young successful Major Leaguers in that room,” Snitker said. “It’s a great situation for him to have success. The situation is good. The atmosphere is good. The work he’ll get is good. It’s just up to him to perform.”