Seattle Mariners: Protecting Jarred Kelenic
Protecting his confidence
Typically left-handed hitters struggle when they face lefty pitchers. Lately, Servais sits Kelenic when the opponent starts a left-handed pitcher. This makes sense due to J.K.’s .083 average against them.
Kelenic has the same batting average when he’s facing right-handed starters. And ironically, he bats better at home than he does on the road.
On the surface might not seem to be ironic until you realize that T-Mobile Field is considered a pitcher’s park. That makes Kelenic an odd duck.
Then again, comparing Kelenic to Pederson at this point is a little unfair, considering the Mariners’ young outfielder has less than a year of MLB service time and only 453 plate appearances. Fair or not, Kelenic’s production isn’t what the Seattle Mariners and their fans thought or expected from the highly-touted kid.
Kelenic’s career batting average against righties is .167, so it’s not like he’s beating the tar out of them either. But he sees the ball better against righties as his on base percentage is 22 points higher. More importantly, his slugging percentage is 150 points higher, which is significant.
A good manager puts his people in situations where they can succeed. For Servais, that means Kelenic’s best opportunities are against right-handed pitchers.
Jarred Kelenic SMOKES this ball for a home run!
114 MPH Exit Velo 🔥 pic.twitter.com/uQTofojc0N
— ROOT SPORTS™ | NW (@ROOTSPORTS_NW) April 14, 2022