Braves' Jarred Kelenic headache gives Mariners fans another reason not to miss him

Despite being the organization's No. 1 prospect in 2021, Jarred Kelenic never really endeared himself to Seattle Mariners fans.

Aside from the fact that he only compiled 0.2 rWAR in three seasons in Seattle (including a horrid rookie year in 2021), he also received considerable flak for his attitude and tendency to make silly decisions. For example, after hitting a rough patch in 2023, he kicked a water cooler and broke his foot, forcing him to spend more than a month on the IL.

All this is to say that Mariners fans didn't shed many tears when he was traded to the Atlanta Braves ahead of the 2024 season. His 2025 isn't looking too hot so far with a .575 OPS over 55 plate appearances. And to make matters worse, he has once again gotten himself in hot water, this time with his new fans in Atlanta.

Jarred Kelenic's star is continuing to fade in Atlanta

On Saturday against the Minnesota Twins, Kelenic fell victim to his own vanity, being tagged out after admiring a ball that he thought was leaving the park.

This started a small civil war amongst the Braves after 2023 NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. expressed his dissatisfaction with manager Brian Snitker's seemingly inconsistent handling of the situation. For Seattle fans, it's a glimpse into the type of problems they could have been facing if the team had kept Kelenic around.

The Mariners outfield looks pretty different from the way it did in when he was hanging around in left field. It took a little bit to find a long-term replacement but given the recent production the team has been getting out of left field, it seems like the front office is moving in the right direction.

Despite being free of his current struggles, it's still disappointing to think that Kelenic didn't quite manage to meet the lofty expectations that followed him to Seattle. Baseball is a fickle sport and it's an all-too-common occurrence to see top prospects fall short. If he had been as good as scouts thought he would be, he would have formed a truly dynamic duo with Julio Rodríguez and the Mariners could have had one of the most imposing outfields in baseball.

Seattle has a fresh class of outstanding minor league talent and it's unlikely that all of the top names will live up to the hype. However, there are plenty of encouraging signs that they'll at least make it to the big leagues. Betting the future of the franchise on unproven talent is always risky, but Seattle has better chances than most to make it work.