Jarred Kelenic is ecstatic about his chance with the Atlanta Braves.
Atlanta’s newest outfielder talked about his recent trade, the ups and downs of his professional career, and how happy he is for a new start.
The Atlanta Braves had to jump through a lot of hoops to bring in former No. 6 overall pick Jarred Kelenic. Atlanta agreed to take on Marco Gonzales and Evan White, as well as their salary, in the initial agreement with the Seattle Mariners. Both Gonzales and White have since gone on to other projects in try to recoup some of the money owing to them.
Whatever the financial cost, the Braves decided it was a worthwhile investment to take a chance on Kelenic, a former top prospect who hasn’t lived up to his potential in his brief major league career. Kelenic is still only 24 years old and will play in Atlanta’s left field next season. Kelenic spoke with the media via Zoom Wednesday morning and said he was ecstatic when he found out he was going to Atlanta.
“I was watching the Packers game with a bunch of my friends at my house here when I got a phone call from our GM with the Mariners.” “He just told me that I was going to Atlanta,” Kelenic explained. “When I heard that, I was ecstatic because I knew I was going to a really good organization with a winning record over the last however many years.”
“There’s no doubt that they were one of the best teams in baseball last year and the years before that.” I’m really looking forward to just being a part of it, learning from those guys, and starting again with a new organization.”
Kelenic was selected sixth overall by the New York Mets in the 2018 MLB Draft out of Waukesha West High School in Wisconsin. He had an.839 OPS in 56 games as a rookie, but was sold to the Mariners in December in the deal that sent Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to the Mets.
Kelenic moved through three levels in 2019, hitting 23 home runs and posting a.904 OPS. The pandemic wiped out the 2020 season, but he started the 2021 season at Triple A, posting a 143 wRC+ in 30 games. That summer, he made his major league debut, but he struggled. Kelenic would perform well in Triple A again in 2022, but he would fail to make an impression in the majors. In April 2023, he hit.308/.366/.615 with seven home runs and a 169 wRC+, and it appeared like things were finally coming together for him.
It might also be a low-stakes position for him. He isn’t needed to anchor a lineup for the Braves. They don’t require him to act as a catalyst. He’ll most certainly fall to the bottom of the order, where he may finally relax and develop. Kelenic, to his credit, claims he is eager to blend in and learn from his new teammates.
“I think the most exciting thing for me is being able to not only be teammates with those guys, but also be able to just kind of watch how they go about their business on a day to day and really learn the ins and the outs of what they’re doing,” he added. “Clearly, it’s working. That roster contains some of the top players in the game.
That is something I am very excited about. I believe it will help me to simply get comfy in the box and focus on what makes me click and what makes me the greatest version of myself. “I think if I just concentrate on that, I’ll be right where I need to be.”
Kelenic’s tenure in Seattle was frequently turbulent. After comments on Kelenic and service time manipulation, Seattle’s team president was forced to leave in 2021. He believes that a fresh start with the Braves and their organization will be just what he needs to realize his full potential.
“I have a few friends in the Braves organization. “Everything they talk about is doing things the right way and caring about their players,” Kelenic added. “It’s like a family-type organization, which I’m really looking forward to.” It is something I highly cherish. I grew up in a blue-collar family that valued connections and being a nice person in general.
Knowing that you’re heading to an organization that values you is quite thrilling to me. I believe it will help motivate me to get the most out of myself and simply make me the greatest version of myself, not only the best player, but the best individual person that I can be. That’s great because I’m still young, only 24 years old, and there’s a lot of learning ahead of me, but knowing that I’m coming into an institution that truly educates and values that is fantastic.”
However, in the remaining 315 plate appearances, he hit.235/.314/.356 and struck out 33% of the time. Kelenic also missed about a month due to a broken foot sustained when he kicked a water cooler in the dugout after a strikeout.
Kelenic acknowledged that he is no stranger to failure and that he has had many ups and downs during his professional career.
“I think I would say that when I first came up to the big leagues, I didn’t know what to expect, honestly,” he added. “Looking back on my struggles in the big leagues and other places, some of those struggles were some of the most important lessons I learned and some of the ones I needed to learn.”
Some of the most important lessons I learned during my first three seasons in the big leagues were how to turn the page and just let things go. My foot was an excellent example of this. In my opinion, it was a watershed moment in not only baseball, but also in my life in general. Granted, it was a terrible thing to happen to me, but it was also one of the best things that had occurred to me. When I think back on my hardships, I realize that they not only shaped who I am now, but they also taught me a lot.
The older I get, the more I learn and the better off I’ll be.”
After a rocky start in Seattle, Kelenic is looking forward to a new beginning with the Braves and at an organization that he believes has a positive culture.
“I’m just thankful for the opportunity to go to an amazing organization and have the ability to go out and learn from an amazing staff.” Kelenic explained. “Seeing guys like Chipper and those guys around was something that I thought was amazing when I played there last year, last summer.”
I’m absolutely looking forward to a fresh new start, but having gone through the adversity that I did and being able to just utilize it in my day-to-day work as I move on in my career, I’m really looking forward to just being myself and having a blank slate.”
On paper, it appears that Kelenic will receive the most of his playing time in left field next season. The Braves have also stated that they are willing to give infielder Vaughn Grissom a chance in left field, and he is now playing outfield in Puerto Rico over the offseason. If Grissom is not included in a trade for a starting pitcher, a platoon situation could develop. Nonetheless, given the amount of money they spent to recruit him, it would be remarkable if Kelenic did not receive the position.
