Jarred Kelenic might be a major wild card on the Atlanta Braves roster. In the summer, he was on fire and appeared to be a significant solution to their outfield requirements. During that streak, he was even batting first for a while. However, by the end of the season, he was a significant burden. I even argued that he should be benched for the rest of the season.
The finished result does not look like the ideal acquisition. But that hasn’t stopped MLB.com’s Mark Bowman from naming Kelenic as the most likely breakout player this season. “Though he debuted in ’21, the talented athlete is still young,” Bowman said reporters. “If he finally finds some consistency this year, Kelenic might show why the Braves were willing to spend approximately $17 million to secure five years of potential control last year.”
Last season, Kelenic hit.231.286/.393 with 15 home runs and 45 RBIs. He really began to shine for around two months. Between May 7 and June 29, he hit.295/.335/.541, with nine home runs and 22 RBIs. In the remaining 63 games, he had a terrible performance.171/.237/.311 with six homers and 19 RBI.
So we’ve seen what he’s capable of, but he hasn’t demonstrated he can maintain it. As Bowman stated, the question is if he can establish consistency, which is a big if. Is Kelenic’s breakout forecast going to be supported here? No.
However, we’ll play devil’s advocate just to show where Bowman is coming from. Kelenic was a high talent for several years. As recently as 2021, he was the MLB’s fourth-best prospect. The expectations have been placed on him for a reason. He was rated higher among Seattle Mariners prospects than All-Star Julio Rodriguez. When you look at his minor league numbers, everything makes sense.
Kelenic’s slash line in 126 Triple-A games is.302/.374/.567, with 28 home runs and 98 RBIs. That’s an adequate sample size. All signs point to all-star potential. However, he has been labeled as a Quad-A player thus far. He’s too excellent for Triple-A but not ready for the Majors. He’s young enough that this could change. He’s 25, and many Major League Baseball players don’t make their debut until that age. The Braves also have new offensive coaches. Tim Hyers may be able to figure out something the others haven’t yet.
He’s likely to receive his shot. If the Braves do not make a huge addition before the season begins, they will need some choices in the corner outfield. Even if they do, he’ll probably get a shot because Ronald Acuña Jr. is sidelined. It is up to him to grasp the occasion and have a breakout year, but the opportunity will present itself.
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