Kelenic ready to prove he can be an everyday player

NORTH PORT, Fla. -- One year after coming to Spring Training as the guy the Braves had just spent approximately $17 million on to control for five seasons, Jarred Kelenic feels somewhat like a forgotten figure.

“We're going to need him to be a big player for us till we get Ronald [Acu?a Jr.] back,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “Then, at that point in time, we'll see where we're at.”

Kelenic will serve as the Braves’ primary right fielder until Acu?a makes his expected return from knee surgery at some point within the season’s first two months. But the plan is for him to spend a majority of the season as a backup, with Acu?a, Michael Harris II and offseason addition Jurickson Profar serving as the everyday outfielders.

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“As long as I work on doing what I'm supposed to, and focus on doing my job, I'm going to have my opportunity,” Kelenic said. “So I'm going to do everything I can to help this team win. That's like the only thing I can control. I want to win just as bad as everybody else in here.”

Hoping to benefit from the upside of a former top prospect, the Braves took on a few bad contracts when they acquired Kelenic from the Mariners during the 2023 Winter Meetings. The gamble was understandable. The outfielder was taken sixth overall in the '18 MLB Draft and he ranked as MLB’s No. 4 prospect as recently as '21. Plus, he had shown some signs of progress while producing a .746 OPS during an injury-shortened '23 season with Seattle.

But it didn’t take long to begin questioning the decision. Kelenic’s slow start in Spring Training last year led the Braves to sign Adam Duvall in mid-March as insurance. Kelenic ended up hitting .231 with 15 homers and a .679 OPS last year. His talents were visible as he enjoyed some encouraging stretches. But by the end of August, he lost his starting role to Ramón Laureano, who signed with Atlanta after being released by the Guardians last year.

Kelenic’s hopes to be an everyday player during the upcoming season vanished in January, when the Braves signed Profar to a three-year contract. Injuries have altered countless plans. But with this latest outfield addition, the Braves essentially confirmed Kelenic doesn’t fit into their everyday plans over any of the next three seasons.

“I realize what's in my control and what's not,” Kelenic said. “I have enough trust to know that they want to win and I’m here to help win.”

The Braves certainly haven’t given up on Kelenic. New hitting coach Tim Hyers and assistant hitting coach Hugh Quattlebaum traveled to Kelenic’s Milwaukee-area home to hit with him this winter. Quattlebaum served as Seattle’s hitting coordinator during Kelenic’s first two years in the Mariners’ organization (2019-20).

“The most important trait for a hitting coach is the positivity, because this game is hard and it’s easy to get down on yourself,” Kelenic said. “Having someone who is very positive and optimistic is something you want in a hitting coach. Both Tim and Hugh have that.”

Now Kelenic is charged with the task of remaining strong mentally during what's been a challenging and influential period of his life. The .663 OPS he has produced through 1,423 career plate appearances creates reason to question his ability to live up to once lofty expectations. Last year’s fresh start has been replaced by the reality he no longer projects to be an everyday player in Atlanta.

But after spending a good portion of this winter hitting with his dad and brother in Wisconsin, Kelenic has come to Spring Training intent on remaining positive and ready when needed.

“If I'm worrying about other things that I can't really control, it kind of creates baggage that I don't really need,” Kelenic said. “It kind of slows you down. The game is so fast that if you have any sort of baggage on you, you're just not going to perform to the best of your abilities.”