The latest news on Jarred Kelenic
Keeping tabs on the No. 4 overall prospect
July 21: Sample size of struggles grows larger
It was another difficult day at the plate for Mariners top prospect Jarred Kelenic, who went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in his 28th big league game. Now nearly graduated from prospect status (130 MLB plate appearances), it is clear Kelenic will need to make significant adjustments in order to transform Minor League success into Major League results. Only time will tell whether the 22-year-old's early struggles will be looked at as just a bump in the road or a sign of larger issues to come. Gameday ?
July 20: Hitless for first time since returning
For the first time since returning to the Seattle Mariners lineup, Jarred Kelenic failed to record a hit. With his 0-for-4 day at the dish the 22-year-old outfielder is now hitting .176 (3-for-17) with eight strikeouts in four games since being recalled from Triple-A Tacoma and .110 (11-for-100) through his first 100 career Major League at-bats. Gameday ?
July 18: Records hit in third straight game
Jarred Kelenic has himself a hitting streak, as he recorded another single in his third game back in the big leagues. Kelenic went 1-for-4 in the Mariners' win over the Angels on Sunday. He is hitting .231 through his first three games in his second MLB stint. Gameday ?
July 17: Slaps single in loss
Jarred Kelenic singled for the second game in a row, going 1-for-5 Saturday night against the Angels. The performance makes him 2-for-9 in his first two games back in the big leagues. He has improved his batting average in MLB from .096 to .109. Gameday ?
July 16: Collects hit in return to big leagues
Jarred Kelenic slapped a single in his return to big league action, going 1-for-4 against the Angels. Kelenic is looking to stick with the Mariners after a disappointing first go-around with the team that saw him hit .096. He dominated Triple-A pitching prior to his call-up, hitting .320 with a 1.018 OPS in his second stint with Tacoma. Gameday ?
July 15: Promoted to Seattle
Happy birthday to you, Jarred Kelenic. Baseball's No. 4 overall prospect is heading back to the big leagues and will slot into the Seattle Mariners lineup on his 23rd birthday Friday, per MLB.com's Daniel Kramer. He is expected to play primarily in center field as Kyle Lewis continues his recovery from last month's knee surgery. Since returning to Triple-A Tacoma in mid-June, Kelenic has hit .306 (30-for-98) with seven home runs and 23 RBIs across 24 games. More ?
July 11: All-Star Futures Game
It¡¯s been two years since Jarred Kelenic took part in his first Futures Game, and he planned to soak in this year¡¯s event in a way he couldn¡¯t in Cleveland in 2019.
¡°I¡¯m looking forward to enjoying this one more than I did the last one,¡± Kelenic said. ¡°Everything happened so fast; now that I¡¯ve been there, I know what to expect. I can really slow it down and take it in stride.¡±
MLB Pipeline's No. 4 prospect went 0-for-1 with a groundout in his second Futures Game. Even as he took batting practice at Coors Field with his American League teammates, his mind was clearly in another place Sunday: Seattle.
The Mariners¡¯ No. 1 prospect has been on fire ever since he was demoted from the big leagues to Triple-A, sparking speculation that his second stint in the Majors could begin after the All-Star break.
¡°I¡¯m just motivated to get back,¡± said Kelenic, who grounded out in his lone at-bat Sunday. ¡°I know the player I was when I was there isn¡¯t me, I feel like I am the player I am now and that¡¯s the player that is going to find success when I go back to the big-leagues.¡±
Kelenic hit .096 with a .378 OPS and 26 strikeouts in 92 plate appearances during his initial Major League stint, but he¡¯s hit .320 with nine home runs and a 1.018 OPS in 125 at-bats since being sent back to the Minors on June 8.
July 9: Doubles and walks in win
Jarred Kelenic didn't skip a beat after three straight off-days, doubling and working a walk for Triple-A Tacoma Friday. Seattle's top prospect went 1-for-3 in the contest and notched the only extra-base hit for the Rainiers as they squeaked by in a 1-0 win over Sugar Land. Kelenic did not play for Tacoma on Tuesday and didn't get an opportunity to play Thursday as their opener with the Skeeters was rained out. Gameday ?
July 5: Collects four hits, two RBIs
Jarred Kelenic had the hot hand yet again with Triple-A Tacoma, tying a career high with four hits in a win over Reno. Baseball's No. 4 overall prospect ended the night 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Kelenic slapped two doubles on the night, his first being a two-run double in the sixth inning and second coming in his final at-bat in the eighth. He has six extra-base hits in the last five games. The 23-year-old outfielder is batting .305 with 15 XBHs and 23 RBIs in 23 games since being sent back to Tacoma on June 7 from his brief big league stint. More ?
July 4: Tallies homer and double in win
Jarred Kelenic provided the fireworks in Tacoma's 7-3 win over Reno, smashing his ninth Triple-A home run of the year. Kelenic also slapped a double and scored in the sixth inning, giving him six two-baggers on the year. Seattle's top prospect went 2-for-4 on the day, adding a walk to his stat line. Kelenic now owns a .299 average at the Triple-A level this season and a .971 OPS to boot. Gameday ?
July 3: Hitless in loss
Jarred Kelenic snapped his five-game hitting streak Saturday night, going 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in Triple-A Tacoma's loss to Reno. His batting average dropped 14 points to .292 on the year. It was a tough night all around for Tacoma, as the team recorded just five hits with four of those coming off the bats of Eric Filia and Donovan Walton. Gameday ?
July 2: Goes 1-for-4 in loss
Jarred Kelenic managed to find some grass for the fifth game in a row, going 1-for-4 in Triple-A Tacoma's loss to Reno. Kelenic's day was clouded by hitting into two double plays, but Seattle's top prospect still kept his batting average at .306 at the Triple-A level. Gameday ?
July 1: Slaps two-run double
Jarred Kelenic carried over his hot hand from June into July, hitting a two-run double for his 11th extra-base hit since returning to Triple-A Tacoma. Baseball's No. 4 overall prospect went 1-for-4 at the dish, adding a walk as well. His two RBIs now give him 25 on the Minor League season and 31 total across all levels. Gameday ?
It was also announced on Wednesday that Kelenic would be participating in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game on July 11. He will join a stacked American League roster that includes fellow Mariners prospects OF Julio Rodriguez and RHP Emerson Hancock. More ?
June 29: Kelenic clobbers his eighth home run
Seattle¡¯s top prospect?Jarred Kelenic?snapped a brief 2-for-10 skid with a 3-for-5 day at the dish that featured two runs scored, his eighth home run of the Triple-A season and an RBI. MLB Pipeline¡¯s?No. 4 overall prospect?is now batting .310 with more RBIs (23) than strikeouts (19) while playing for Triple-A Tacoma, and is hitting an incredible .458 with three home runs and eight runs batted in over his past six games. More ?
June 28: Reaches base three times in win
Jarred Kelenic found his way to first base more often than not Monday, going 1-for-3 with two walks in Triple-A Tacoma's win over Albuquerque. Kelenic has now reached base in eight straight games. He is hitting .295 on the year and .265 since returning to Tacoma. Gameday ?
June 27: Back in the hit column
MLB Pipeline's No. 4 overall prospect Jarred Kelenic went 1-for-4 with a single for Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday and is now hitting .262 (17-for-65) with five home runs and 17 RBIs across 16 games since returning to the Minor Leagues earlier this month. Gameday ?
June 26: Quiet night after an offensive outburst
Jarred Kelenic could not continue his momentum following a four-hit game on Friday, going 0-for-3 with a run scored, a walk and a hit by pitch. Seattle's top prospect was set to lead off extra innings, but Tacoma was the victim of a walk-off winner in the home half of the ninth. Gameday ?
June 25: Four-hit performance follows two-homer night
Jarred Kelenic seems to have found his swing again. After sending two homers into the Albuquerque sky Thursday, Kelenic came a homer shy of the cycle in a four-hit performance Friday. Baseball's No. 4 overall prospect ended the night 4-for-6 with three RBIs, two runs scored and his sixth stolen base of the season. Kelenic is now hitting .306 in Triple-A with a .988 OPS and five extra-base hits in his last four games. This energy surge may be just what he needs to claw his way back up to the big leagues, as Seattle center fielders are hitting just .186 with a .616 OPS this season. More ?
June 24: Slams two home runs in win
It was a good night to be Jarred Kelenic Thursday, as the Mariners' top prospect hit his fourth and fifth home runs since being sent back down to Triple-A in a win over Albuquerque. He started off his night with a solo shot to lead off the ballgame and finished it with a three-run shot in the eighth to extend the Rainiers lead. Overall, Kelenic went 2-for-3 and added two walks, making it his fourth straight game reaching base safely. Kelenic now has 14 RBIs since June 7 and is hitting .278 at the Triple-A level with a .927 OPS to boot. He's rebounded nicely since hitting .096 in his brief stint in the big leagues. If he keeps collecting extra-base hits at this pace, he may be back in Seattle in no time. More ?
June 22: Reaches base twice
Jarred Kelenic might have gone 0-for-3 on the night, but the Mariners' top prospect still showed some plate discipline, working two walks in the contest. The two-walk night marks his third straight game reaching base. He has only failed to reach base once since June 10. Gameday ?
June 21: Smacks RBI double in loss
Jarred Kelenic slapped an RBI double in Triple-A Tacoma's 15-6 loss to Las Vegas Monday, going 1-for-5 with a run scored on the night. The average since being sent down to Triple-A on June 7 isn't pretty -- he's hitting just .217 -- but the peripherals look solid as he has has five extra base hits and 10 RBIs in that span. Gameday ?
June 20: 1-for-4 with a run scored
Jarred Kelenic reached on an infield single and came around to score in the third inning Sunday for Triple-A Tacoma. His run gave the Rainiers a 2-1 lead, but that advantage was short-lived and long forgotten by the time the final out was recorded as Tacoma fell to Las Vegas, 14-3. Kelenic, the Mariners' top prospect, lined out and struck out twice in his three other at-bats. He is batting .220 (9-for-41) in 10 games since his demotion to Triple-A on June 7. However, three of those nine hits are home runs, and he has scored eight times. Gameday ?
June 19: Goes hitless in win
Jarred Kelenic failed to record a base hit for Triple-A Tacoma Saturday night, going 0-for-5 in their win over Las Vegas. Despite the hitless performance, Kelenic is still hitting .281 at the Triple-A level as he tries to make his way back up to the big leagues. Gameday ?
June 18: Tallies RBI in two-hit night
Jarred Kelenic tallied two more base hits for Triple-A Tacoma, going 2-for-5 with an RBI in their win over Las Vegas. He now has a hit in five of his last six games and at least one RBI in four of those. It wasn't as explosive as his performance Thursday, but it helped his keep his average up at .305. Gameday ?
June 17: Hits two-run homer in win
All Jarred Kelenic needed was a night off to find his power stroke again, as the Mariners' No. 1 prospect slugged a two-run home run in Triple-A Tacoma's win over Las Vegas, giving the 21-year-old outfielder three homers in his past four games. Kelenic filled up the stat sheet in a 2-for-4 night, collecting three RBIs, scoring twice and drawing a walk in an all-around performance. His first RBI on the night came on a sac fly in the second inning. Kelenic has quietly reached base in five straight games and is 6-for-19 following an 0-for-45 stretch with 21 strikeouts that spanned 11 games in Seattle and two with Tacoma. Gameday ?
June 15: Draws a walk
Despite an offensive outburst around him, No. 4 overall prospect Jarred Kelenic went 0-for-4 at the plate with a walk during Tacoma's 10-9 win. In six games since returning to Triple-A, Kelenic is slashing .174/.231/.478 with two home runs and five RBIs. Gameday ?
June 14: Homers in second straight game
A postponement Sunday didn't slow down Jarred Kelenic, as the Mariners' No. 1 prospect went yard for a second straight game Monday. The outfielder went 1-for-3 on the night, scoring twice and walking once. Kelenic is starting to find his swing again with Triple-A Tacoma after being sent back down. Over the past three games, Kelenic is hitting .364 with two home runs, a double and four RBIs. Gameday ?
June 12: Hits homer in multihit night
Jarred Kelenic is starting to find his groove again for Triple-A Tacoma, slugging his first home run since making his return to the Rainiers. Baseball's No. 4 prospect went 2-for-4 on the night, adding a single and another run scored to his solo shot. He now has three hits and three RBIs in two games after breaking an 0-for-17 slump. Gameday ?
June 11: Drives in two with slump-breaking double
After a couple hitless games back in Triple-A, Jarred Kelenic finally found some grass on a two-run double in the second inning of the Rainiers' win over Sacramento. It was his only hit of the night, but it must've felt nice to break his 0-for-17 dry spell. Overall, Kelenic went 1-for-4 on the night with a run scored to go along with his two RBIs. Gameday ?
June 10: Struggles continue in three strikeout day
After going 0-for-3 in his return to Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday, Jarred Kelenic went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts and reached base on an error in his second game back with the Rainiers Thursday, highlighting his struggles since being called up to the big leagues in mid-May. He has not recorded a base hit and struck out seven times in his past 16 at-bats across all levels. Gameday ?
June 8: Picks up RBI in MiLB return
Jarred Kelenic went 0-for-3 with an RBI for Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday. It was his first Minor League game since May 11. Kelenic, the Mariners' No. 1 prospect, was optioned by Seattle on Monday after batting just .096 in 23 games in the big leagues. He is batting .333 through seven games with the Rainiers this season. Gameday ?