Seattle Mariners: Jarred Kelenic sent down but he’s far from out
Joe Swenson
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Jarred Kelenic’s first go-around in Seattle ended on Monday after a sub .100 batting average. Joe Swenson explains the underlying numbers behind the demotion and why fans shouldn’t give up on him.
The Seattle Mariners registered a decent record after Jarred Kelenic‘s call-up, but Jarred’s contributions on offense were putrid. Baseball is a demanding sport. Hitting 95 miles per hour fastballs that paint the outside part of the plate, followed up by sliders that bite down and in, and change-ups that dive under Kelenic’s bat show how rough hitting can be for a rookie.
Sometimes a young player has to be knocked down a bit before getting back up on the horse. In this case, Kelenic got knocked down nearly every game, especially over his last ten MLB games.
Mariners find ways to win despite Kelenic’s Black Hole Sun numbers
I think I speak for every M’s fan that we are just waiting for Kelenic to bust out and start mashing the ball. His peripherals are around league average in nearly every category. He’s not supposed to be a league-average hitter. Let that sink in, Jarred Kelenic isn’t supposed to be a league-average hitter, and so far, he isn’t.
Kelenic’s Statcast Performance
His average exit velocity is 87.6 MPH (88.3 is league average) with a launch angle is 16.8 degrees (league average is 11.9) add in a sweet spot percentage of 22.8 (vs. 32.8 for the league). That’s the recipe for disaster, which is Kelenic’s MLB offensive output.
Add in a strikeout percentage of 28.3, and it’s easy to see why he wasn’t getting any hits. In the event that the math isn’t adding up for you, read the following summary.
It’s in my blood pic.twitter.com/7rAKyKEbrK
— Jarred Kelenic (@jarredkelenic) December 8, 2020