Seattle Mariners Beleaguered Prospect Looks "Resurgent" This Spring

February 27, 2023


The Seattle Mariners have the Rookie of the Year, and perhaps the future face of baseball, Julio Rodriguez in center field. And they traded for the huge power bat of Teoscar Hernandez to man right. Now if they could only figure out left field.

Former top prospect Jarred Kelenic could go a long way to solving that issue for the M's, and after two disastrous years to start his career, Kelenic has looked "resurgent" this spring, which, as noted by Larry Stone of the Seattle Times,  would be a game-changer for the Mariners.

If his two mammoth home runs on Sunday are any indication, that just might finally be the case.

The first blast traveled 428 feet with a 113-mph exit velocity. The second one landed 438 feet away with a 107 mph exit velo. “That was what I was trying to do. When you get what you’re looking for and you put the right swing on it, it’s a good thing," said Kelenic with a smile afterwards.

The former No. 6 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft has hit a woeful .168 with a .589 OPS in his two tries at sticking in The Show. But he has launched 21 home runs in those 147 games. It's obvious that massive power is in there.

“I’m trying to have a mindset of it doesn’t matter what the count is,’’ he said. “I’m just trying to seriously take it one pitch at a time. And then trying to flush the rest. It’s helping me with situations like that. So that the thought of having two strikes doesn’t become overwhelming. And just trying to win that pitch.”

Now it's just a matter of winning that job in left. 

Photo: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports




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