JARRED KELENIC

Outfielder | 6-foot-1, 190 pounds | Bats: Left | Throws: Left | Age: 20

Mariners prospect ranking: No. 1 (MLB Pipeline), No. 2 (Baseball America)

Path to Peoria: Drafted in the first round (No. 6 overall) by the Mets in 2018 out of Wisconsin’s Waukesha West High School. Traded to Seattle as part of the seven-player deal that sent Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to New York. Rocketed through three levels of the minors in his first season with the Mariners in 2019, finishing with Double-A Arkansas. This is his first major league camp invite.

Projected debut year: 2020

Scouting report: Kelenic has all of the tools — and all of the confidence. He’s spent the early days of spring training knocking home runs over fence during daily batting practice on the back fields at the Mariners’ training facility, has wowed not only with his on-field ability, but also the maturity in his approach, and has already logged the first hit of his first major league camp — an opposite-field double in Seattle’s Cactus League opener. He’s shown remarkable ability everywhere he’s been, with a career slash line of .290/.366/.516 in 173 games over two seasons in the minors, and hasn’t slowed down as he’s climbed the ranks, hitting .253/.315/.542 with four doubles, a triple, six homers and 17 RBI in 21 games with Arkansas last summer. Because the Mariners don’t want to rush him, it’s likely he begins 2020 in the minors, but it would be surprising if Kelenic was not seen roaming Seattle’s outfield at some point this season.

By the numbers: Kelenic led all Mariners minor leaguers in runs (80) and doubles (31) in 2019, and ranked tied for second in homers (23), third in hits (117) and fourth in RBI (68). He was named the organization’s Ken Griffey Jr. offensive player of the year at season’s end.

Quotable: “On the field I don’t talk a whole lot, just because I have a job to do, and I’m going to make sure I do it, and I can mess around after. But, when I’m off the field, Julio will be the first to tell you, he can never take me serious. I’m always messing around. But, that’s what makes this game fun. As everybody does, I just try to go out and do the best I can.”

MARINERS FACES OF THE FUTURE

Jarred Kelenic, though still projected to be at least a few months away from his imminent debut in the big leagues, is already showing big league maturity.

Sunday afternoon in the Seattle Mariners’ Cactus League opener, the 20-year-old outfield prospect came on as a substitute in the sixth inning, and proceeded to show the crowd just exactly what the Mariners are so excited about.

After taking a pitch off the elbow in his first plate appearance in the sixth, he came back and ripped an opposite-field double to left in his second. And, in his third, he patiently drew a pivotal walk to load the bases in the ninth, giving the Mariners an opportunity to try for a late comeback.

Perhaps that last appearance doesn’t seem exciting at first glance. Here’s why it was: It showed plate discipline worthy of a major leaguer, and Kelenic has never played above Double-A.

“It was a good at-bat,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “You could kind of see that inning unfolding, couldn’t you? Jarred was going to get the at-bat late there, which is great. Good for him. The more experiences like that he gets now, the better off we’ll all be down the road.”

Kelenic blocked out the crowd chanting his name, and teammate and close friend Julio Rodriguez playfully twirling his index finger from the dugout signaling for a home run.

Though he represented the winning run, instead of swinging for the fences early in the count, Kelenic calmly worked it to 3-1. He laid off two breaking balls to draw a walk.

“Jarred stays in the moment really, really well,” Servais said. “Very talented, but what goes on between his ears during the game is key. He doesn’t get ahead of himself.”

The Mariners don’t want to get ahead of themselves with Kelenic, either, but it’s tough to imagine he won’t break into the majors at some point this summer if he continues on the trajectory he’s been on since the Mariners acquired him in 2018 in the deal that sent Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to the Mets.

Kelenic started last season with Low-A West Virginia, was promoted to High-A Modesto by May, and reached Double-A Arkansas by July. He hit at every stop, showed defensive proficiency in the outfield, and played in the All-Star Futures game.

When he visited the Mariners’ clubhouse in September, he publicly declared to reporters that he intended to make it to the big leagues in 2020.

“I’m really focusing on coming into spring training looking like I did last spring training, and going out and playing as hard as I can,” Kelenic said then. “At some point, I want to be in the big leagues (in 2020).

“Obviously that’s not up to me, but at the same time, all I can control is going out and playing as hard as I can every single day, and the rest will take care of itself.”

Though one of the youngest players in Mariners camp this spring, Kelenic already looks like he belongs in a big league clubhouse, with a 6-foot-1, 190-pound muscular frame and a powerful bat he displays daily in batting practice.

“He’s stacked like a brick house,” Mariners center fielder Mallex Smith said. “He’s built well. I’m interested to see what he can do in person. I’ve heard a lot, but I’m quite excited to see what he’s got going on.”

As are many others following this Mariners rebuild, of which Kelenic is a central figure.

Kelenic believes Seattle’s organization is building toward something great, and while he takes that, and his play on the field, very seriously, he has made sure to enjoy competing amongst the Mariners other young prospects.

“With these young guys, nobody’s super uptight or serious,” Kelenic said. “Everybody can relate to each other and we’re all messing around and having a good time. We have so much talent in there. This is a really special group.”

This story was originally published February 25, 2020 at 7:00 AM.

Lauren Smith

The News Tribune

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Lauren Smith is a sports reporter at The News Tribune. She has covered high school sports for TNT and The Olympian, as well as the Seattle Mariners and Washington Huskies. She is a graduate of UW and Emerald Ridge High School.