Seattle Mariners: The time is right to bring up Jarred Kelenic
Falling further behind by the day, the time is right for the Seattle Mariners to bring up top prospect Jarred Kelenic.
Now is the time to bring up arguably the best prospect the Seattle Mariners have had in ages, Jarred Kelenic. He is the organization’s most anticipated future commodity since Felix Hernandez, and most hyped position player since Alex Rodriguez. Until General manage Jerry DiPoto got Kelenic from the Mets, there hadn’t been a legitimate five-tool player in the M’s farm system since A-Rod. There were some nice players with hype such as Dustin Ackley, Jesus Montero, Tyler O’Neil, and Alex Jackson, but none had the advanced billing of this 20-year-old.
A growing trend
On MLB Pipeline’s most recent Top 100, Kelenic is ranked currently as the 12th best prospect. Among position players, he’s ninth and is the third-best outfield prospect. Both outfielders ahead of him, Luis Robert (ChiSox) and Jo Adell (LAA) are in the show now. While Adell is off to a slow start, Robert, on the other hand, looks like everything his advanced billing said he was, and more.
Within the past week, other teams brought up their top prospects. Among the young guns making their Major League debuts are Alec Bohm, Philadelphia ( 31st on Pipeline), Casey Mize (8th) & Tarik Skubal (50th), Detroit, Cristian Pache, Atlanta (14th), and Dylan Carlson, St. Louis (18th). Thursday, San Francisco called up their top prospect, Joey Bart (14th), and Miami did the same with Sixto Sanchez (24th). The time is right for Kelenic to join the Mariners.
Nothing to lose
Seattle is currently 9.5 games behind in the American League West and 5.5 back of a playoff spot. It’s evident by now, a 2020 post-season appearance is a longshot, but not impossible. There is nothing he can do to make the situation work, and every reason to believe Kelenic will only help.
Beyond that, the Mariners need to see Jarred Kelenic play against Major League pitching. Both their offense and defense need him. Only 6-of-14 Seattle position players are hitting over .200. Two of them were thought of to be utility players coming into the season, Dylan Moore and Tim Lopes. Management took the first steps in upgrading the offense earlier this week by sending Mallex Smith to the team’s alternate site in Tacoma and designating Daniel Vogelbach for assignment.
On the flip side, if the season ended now, the M’s possibly have the #1 pick (top three at worst). That is depending on how MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred decides the draft order. Some people will argue that since the Mariners were not expected to compete this year, landing a top-three draft pick is huge. It sure is, that point is indisputable. Keep in mind many high school and college prospects didn’t compete in 2020 due to COVID-19. The same might happen again in 2021.
Mariners fans know who Kelenic is, there is no need to rehash his resume (click this link if you want to see it). Here is one juicy tidbit. Kelenic’s last completed season saw him finish Double-A with a 20–20 campaign. Five weeks remain in this shortened 2020 season. Seattle has everything to gain and little to lose by adding Kelenic to the roster.
Jarred Kelenic starts his day with a stand-up triple. Because why wouldn’t he? #Mariners pic.twitter.com/wZ6UctWR2I
— Tacoma Rainiers (@RainiersLand) August 18, 2020
What do you think about Jarred Kelenic joining the Seattle Mariners in 2020? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.