It might be an understatement to say that Jarred Kelenic is ready to get the spring over with.
The former top Mets prospect and current member of the Atlanta Braves has been having the worst spring among MLB qualifiers, with a .071 batting average and an OPS of .223 after going 0-for-3 in Atlanta’s 3-3 spring training tie against the Red Sox on Sunday.
Kelenic’s struggles have been so pronounced that the Braves, who traded for the outfielder in December and expected that he’d start in left field this season, went out and signed veteran Adam Duvall on Thursday.
It seems Kelenic is now headed for a platoon role in the outfield with Duvall.
Kelenic told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos and manager Brian Snitker had given him a heads up before the signing was announced.
“The guy respected me enough to pull me in there and say, ‘Hey, here’s what we got,’” Kelenic said. “And I can only appreciate that. I can only appreciate honesty, and that’s all that they’ve been. I have no complaints whatsoever.”
But the frustration has started to become visible, including recently after striking out in a game against the Pirates where he seemed to spin around angrily and then tossed his helmet to the ground.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal said on “Foul Territory” that Kelenic can be “really hard on himself.”
“When he gets into one of these ruts, he can get down on himself,” Rosenthal added.
Kelenic was selected by the Mets sixth overall in 2018 and had been a highly touted prospect, but in a bid to try to shake up the roster, the Mets sent Kelenic to Seattle as part of a package to acquire Robinson Canó and Edwin Díaz.
He spent five years in the Mariners organization before being traded to the Braves this past winter.
Kelenic had a .253 batting average and a .327 OBP in 2023 and Anthopoulos viewed him as someone with “big offensive upside.”