WATCH: Seattle Mariners' Jarred Kelenic Hits 482-Foot Home Run vs. Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field
Seattle Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic hit his third home run in as many games on Wednesday, hitting a 482-foot blast out to center field at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs.
After hitting a home run in the ninth inning on Monday to tie the game, Kelenic hit an opposite field blast on Tuesday to bring the Mariners within one run, and today, he hit this moonshot, which helped extend a Mariners lead.
This blast came in the top of the ninth inning off of Julian Merryweather and made it 5-1 Mariners. The Mariners would eventually win 5-2.
It's been a strong start to the season for Kelenic, who is now hitting .351 with three home runs, five RBIs and 13 total hits.
The 23-year-old was the centerpiece of the Mariners trade that sent Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to the Mets before the 2019 season. Long considered one of the top prospects in baseball, it's been a struggle for Kelenic to gain traction at the major league level.
He's a lifetime .181 hitter through 537 career at-bats, but he has 24 homers to his resume. He has undeniable tools and the Mariners are trying to find ways to maximize that talent and put him in advantageous situations. He's been platooning with AJ Pollock, sitting against lefties, but he just might be earning himself everyday playing time at this point.
If he can figure it out regularly, the Mariners offense will get a big boost, which they could use given the questions about the pitching staff and its health. Robbie Ray and Andres Munoz are both on the injured list right now.
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