2021 Mariners Jarred Kelenic fantasy baseball advice

Mariners outfield prospect Jarred Kelenic, who I like to call “Machine Gun Kel,” is one of the most intriguing prospects in the MLB. The former Mets’ first-round pick is the fourth-ranked prospect in the league behind Wander Franco, Adley Rutschman, and Spencer Torkelson. To no one’s surprise, Kelenic is one of the favorites to win AL Rookie of the Year this season, but we still don’t exactly know when he will be with the big league team. The situation complicates things so we will provide our best Jarred Kelenic fantasy baseball advice.

Jarred Kelenic fantasy baseball advice

Although Kelenic hasn’t even stepped up a big-league field yet, he is ranked pretty high in the 2021 Fantasy Pros rankings. The 21-year-old outfielder is the 234th player on the list right behind Leody Taveras, and in front of Nathan Eovaldi. If you were in a 10-person league, Kelenic would be drafted in the 23rd round (based on simple math).

For his level of talent, you might think that is disrespectful. But based on the situation he is in, it makes sense. There is a wide range of things that could happen this year. Jarred Kelenic could be on the Opening Day roster, or he might not get called up until June. These two ends of the spectrum create a vast change in how fantasy owners should view Kelenic in the draft.

When should you draft him if he’s on the Opening Day roster?

If we find out that Kelenic will start in Seattle, I would probably view him in the 150-175 ranks. For example, Max Kepler is the 154th ranked fantasy player, Andrew McCutchen is the 163rd, and Marco Gonzales is the 165th. I think it is completely reasonable to draft Kelenic before these three players. Honestly, Jarred might have more of an impact than everyone in the 150-175 ranks.

When should you draft him if he starts in the minors?

Even if Kelenic is in the minors to start the season, he is the type of player you should stash to make sure you don’t miss out on him during the season. Players like Jarred Kelenic will be picked up in seconds of any news about him being called up, so don’t let it happen.

Draft him with your last five picks in the draft. You’re going to have to eat a bench spot until Kelenic gets called up, but I think it will be worth it. He is too good of a prospect to pass up.

Things are a lot different for dynasty leagues and Jarred Kelenic should be a very high pick. Kelenic will be in the big leagues in 2021, which is almost a guarantee, which makes him more valuable than some prospects like Spencer Torkelson who won’t play for the Tigers in 2021.

In summary, you should draft Jarred Kelenic regardless of where he starts the season. Just don’t wait too long, because he isn’t some sleeper. Everyone knows who he is, and everyone will be eyeing him.