Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic became the talk of Major League Baseball after he launched a deep home run at Wrigley Field on April 12. The once-highly touted prospect did not do much at the plate over his first two Major League seasons, but he’s made a big impact thus far for Seattle. And, it means that you may need to move fast on the waiver wire if he’s available in your fantasy league.
Related: 2023 MLB Fantasy: Best Buy-Low Candidates to Target
A Look at Kelenic
Former top prospect Jarred Kelenic had two very rough seasons between 2021-22, but started to show signs of a potential breakthrough in Spring Training. The 23-year-old hit .353 across 19 games of Cactus League action, and hit four home runs and eight extra base hits. And at one point in March, Kelenic was tied for the Spring Training lead for extra base hits.
Granted, Spring Training results don’t mean much as a whole. But, those 19 games may have very well been a harbinger of things to come.
Through his first 11 games of 2023, Kelenic hit .351/.415/.703 with three home runs and seven extra base hits. Kelenic ended the day on April 12 tied for the team lead in extra base hits alongside first baseman Ty France. The Wisconsin native also swiped two bags in the early parts of the regular season. Kelenic had only 13 extra base hits across 54 games last season, and he’s shown off his power in style over the first few weeks of the season.
On April 12, Kelenic blasted a mammoth 482-foot home run off of Cubs reliever Julian Merryweather. That home run is now the longest home run hit of the Statcast era in Wrigley Field during a regular season game.
Kelenic has proven to be a force in the early goings of the regular season, but should you pull the trigger on him in fantasy?
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Kelenic entered the 2023 season as one of those young players that tantalized thanks to his tools, but had yet to put it together. Just from watching the Mariners outfielder in the Minors, the power, speed, and ability to get on base were all there. Yet, he just hadn’t made enough contact in the Majors to be a legitimate option in fantasy.
Now, things have changed. Albeit being a small sample size, Kelenic’s strikeout rate is down six percentage points and his Zone Contact rate is up to 80.8%. That latter figure is over eight percentage points better than his 2022 (72.5%) figure. Not to mention, the young outfielder’s Whiff% rate is down eight points and he’s being more selective at the plate.
Kelenic will be in a much better — and more sustainable — position if he remains patient at the plate. So far, he’s done that. Given the tools and the early success, it’s hard not to feel good about Kelenic’s chances moving forward. Even though AJ Pollock still looms in the background, one shouldn’t have any qualms about buying on Kelenic.