Mariners of the Future: Vanderbilt OF Jeren Kendall

To be honest, I never thought I would write an article about the possibility of Jeren Kendall becoming the newest member of the Mariners organization. Entering the 2017 season, Kendall was considered by some to be the best player in the country. But as the draft inches closer, Kendall continues to fall.

Let me say this right off the bat; I do not think Kendall is going to fall to the Mariners. But if he is sitting on the board at pick 17, General Manager Jerry Dipoto will have a difficult decision to make. Kendall offers something that most draft prospects do not have: superstar potential.

Not only does this draft class lack these types, the Mariner farm system does as well. Aside from Kyle Lewis and perhaps Tyler O’Neill and Brayan Hernandez, the team has very few high upside prospects. Lets take a look at Jeren Kendall, superstar prospect.

Strengths

The standout tool for Jeren Kendall is his double plus speed. Most scouts grade him as a 70 runner (20-80 scale). As a result, Kendall wreaks havoc on the bases for opposing defenses. He has been successful on 65 of his 81 career stolen base attempts, good for 80%  success rate.

The speed translates in the outfield too. Kendall gets good reads and takes good routes on fly balls. The solid ability to read the ball of the bat, coupled with his impressive speed, makes him a plus defender. He doesn’t have the best arm, but grades as a solid 55 on the scouting scale.

In the batters box, Kendall has a career .309/.389/.555 slash playing in the SEC for one of the premier programs in the country. He has a career BB% of 10.4%. He always had some pop, but has really added the home run to his game, slugging 15 in his 230 AB this season.

A common comparison floated for Kendall is Pacific Northwest legend Jacoby Ellsbury. The stat line indicates a close resemblance to Houston Astros prospect Derek Fisher.

Weaknesses

So what is behind Kendall’s fall from number 1 pick to borderline top 20 pick? A serious problem making contact. Despite Kendall’s ability to take walks and hit for power, his strike out problem is a legitimate one. In his 3 year career at Vanderbilt, Kendall struck out in a staggering 28.6% of his plate appearances.

The feeling is that if Kendall struggles to make contact against college pitching, the problem will get worse facing professional hitters. If Kendall could cut down his K% down to under 20%, Kendall is a potential star.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, there is enough upside that makes it likely somebody in the top 15 will take a chance on Jeren Kendall. Additionally, even if Kendall does slide to 17, the ability to control the zone and put the ball in play ranks high on the Mariners check list.

Next: Are the Mariners already out of the playoff hunt?

But of course, Kendall’s athleticism, defense and power potential are sure to make Jerry Dipoto and the Mariners scouting department stop and consider the tremendous upside that rest in Jeren Kendall’s body.