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Jarred Kelenic, OF

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Scouting report

Kelenic entered 2020 coming off a season during which he traversed three levels and reached Double-A at age 20 while hitting .291/.364/.540 with 23 dingers and 20 steals despite wrist and ankle injuries. He got regular big league at-bats during spring training ahead of the shutdown, then had some very high-profile homers during summer camp and at the alternate site, which you probably already know because the Mariners' prospect PR machine is very strong (maybe too strong for the club's own good). I wrote last year that even though Kelenic had become a maxed-out beefcake, it hadn't detracted from his ability to play a fringe center field. More recent looks indicate that is no longer the case. During several spring looks he failed to make plays on balls that I'd expect an average center fielder to make, especially fly balls in the gap that ideally your center fielder runs down. Kelenic's size at his age may eventually push him to the 1B/DH realm, or at least cause him to slow down and be below-average in an outfield corner. I don't think it matters. Kelenic rakes. His feel for contact, strength, and mature approach combine to make him a lethal offensive threat. He is short to the ball with power and can rip his top hand through to catch fastballs at the top of the zone, which bodes well for him against a pitching population that is working up there with increasing frequency. His short levers help him get to velocity on the inner half, and his swing path also enables him to get extended and put balls away from him in the opposite field gap. He's been the among the most polished hitters his age since he was 15 and has a track record of statistical success dating back to his underclass high school days -- he's just added upwards of 30 pounds of muscle to that foundation of skill. He's the most stable of the 60 FV prospects and likely to make an immediate impact now that he's on the major league roster. (Alternate site)