When the Seattle Mariners traded for Jarred Kelenic from the New York Mets in 2018, they expected him to develop into a star. Kelenic struggled during his first couple of years with Seattle, but is finding his footing in 2023. Kelenic's breakout campaign is officially underway, and Philadelphia Phillies superstar Bryce Harper is taking notice, per MLB.com's Daniel Kramer.

“I love his swing,” Harper said of Kelenic. “I know he struggled a little bit getting up here and things like that. But now he's finally got that chance to kind of shine. He’s a good player, man. And he’s putting it together this year for sure.”

It's easy to forget that Jarred Kelenic is still just 23-years old. He made his MLB debut two years ago, and labored as a 21-year old. Kelenic hit just .181 with a .615 OPS through 93 games in his rookie season. Seattle gave him another chance in 2022, but Kelenic hit even worse, slashing .141/.221/.313 with a .534 OPS through 54 games. There were people around the league already calling him a bust despite his young age.

The Mariners, to their credit, stuck with him in 2023. They knew the potential was there, it was just a matter of finding it. Sure enough, the decision has paid off so far.

Jarred Kelenic is currently hitting well over .300 with a league-leading .671 slugging percentage. He's already equaled his 2022 home run total of seven through just 23 games in 2023. It is a small sample size, but Kelenic looks like the player scouts initially thought he could be.

And when Bryce Harper calls you a “good player,” it means you are a good player.