Few MLB players are off to a better start than Seattle Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic, and baseball fans are taking notice. Kelenic had Twitter buzzing Tuesday night when he hit a home run in his third straight game.
Jarred Kelenic broke a 0-0 tie in the fifth inning between the Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies by launching a 424-foot home run. Kelenic's third home run in as many games gave Seattle's young star seven dingers through 21 games in the 2023 season.
Entering Tuesday's game in Philadelphia, Kelneic was hitting .319/.377/.667. Only six players in all of MLB started the night with a higher OPS. His seven home runs are tied for the fifth-most in baseball.
The Jarred Kelenic breakout season is so much more fun to watch when you know you’re watching it from the very beginning. pic.twitter.com/66WxmwkV0B
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) April 25, 2023
Jarred Kelenic, ring the bell 🔔 pic.twitter.com/wpchfN7iX7
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) April 25, 2023
JARRED KELENIC HOMER NO. 7!
This man is keeping the Mariners alive 🤯
.412 against lefties 😳
WOW. pic.twitter.com/CF3cd4V5UJ
— Sami ON Tap (@SamiOnTap) April 25, 2023
Jarred Kelenic’s seventh homer raises his OPS to 1.124 which ranks 3rd in the majors🔥pic.twitter.com/BwnweP75KO
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 25, 2023
Remember when Jarred Kelenic couldn’t hit lefties? I’m so glad those days are behind us.
With that HR, Kelenic is now 7/17 (.411) with 2 doubles, 2 HR & a 17% K rate against left handers this season.
Small sample size, massive improvement #SeaUsRise
— Blake Meyer (@Buhhlockaye) April 25, 2023
Kelenic is unrecognizable from the player who was among the worst in baseball during his first two years. The Mariners' left fielder hit .181/.265/.350 in 93 games as a rookie in 2021. Kelenic was even worse during the 2022 season. He hit .141/.221/.313 in 54 games and split his time between Triple-A and the majors.
The 23-year-old is finally playing like the superstar that the Mariners had hoped it acquired in 2018. The New York Mets sent Kelenic to Seattle as part of the blockbuster trade that put Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz in the Big Apple. The Mets selected Kelenic with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft.
If it weren't for Kelenic, the Mariners might be in big trouble. Ty France is the only other Seattle hitter who has an OPS north of .757. Only three teams in the American League have a worse on-base percentage than the Mariners.
The Mariners are 10-12 through 22 games and fourth in the AL West.
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