Is It Time to Panic About Jarred Kelenic?
When the Atlanta Braves traded for Jarred Kelenic, they knew that they were taking on a player who has a lot of talent, but he needs some work. Kelenic spent the first part of his big-league time as a member of the Seattle Mariners, making his debut with them in 2021. He had a .181 batting average in 2021, a .141 batting average in 2022, and a .253 batting average last season.
It was apparent that he needed a change of scenery. He and the front office did not get along well in Seattle, so the move to Atlanta could help his mental a lot. Kelenic does not have to try to be a superstar for the Atlanta Braves. We don't need him to be that guy. We have a team full of star players. We just need him to be himself.
Currently, he is struggling to do that in Spring Training. Kelenic has appeared in 15 games this spring for the Braves and he has a .071 batting average with 12 strikeouts. Those stats are abysmal, but is it time to hit the panic button?
I don't think it is. Kevin Seitzer, the Braves hitting coach, knows a thing or two about helping a player fix his swing so that he can be as productive as possible. The Braves offense put up numbers last year that were insane. To me, it seems like Seitzer has been working on Kelenic's swing. That is not an easy adjustment to make. Imagine you spent your whole life doing something the same way and then one day someone tells you to change that routine and do it differently. It is hard to break those habits.
I think he will be fine. We just need to give him some time to adjust to his new swing and to his new team. The addition of Adam Duvall can be helpful for him as well, because Duvall might be able to help him work through the slump he is in right now.
So don't write him off just yet. I think he will be just fine in the Braves system.
