Former Mariners prospect's career is teetering on the brink amid MiLB slump

Hopes are high for Colt Emerson who, at No. 7 in MLB Pipeline's top 100, is the Mariners' highest rated prospect since Julio Rodríguez was ranked third back in 2022. However, another former highly rated prospect in Seattle should serve as a cautionary tale for Emerson, in Jarred Kelenic.

Once considered an even better prospect than Rodríguez, Kelenic has since experienced a fall from grace that no one predicted, no matter what certain experts might now be claiming with the benefit of hindsight. And definitely not a descent as spectacular as what we're now witnessing, with the 2018 sixth overall draft pick actually seemingly crashing out for real.

Kelenic was a disaster in the minors and majors last year in Atlanta, and he opted for free agency after the season. He subsequently signing a deal with the White Sox, but following an underwhelming spring training as a non-roster invite, he's now somehow performing worse than ever in their minor league system.

Through eight games in Triple-A Charlotte, the 26-year-old is just 2-for-24 in 29 plate appearances, resulting in a horrific .332 OPS. This is a truly stunning turns of events for someone who had all the physical tools to succeed and was rated as the No. 4 prospect in all of baseball back in 2021.

Jarred Kelenic's mental makeup a source of scrutiny since his time with the Mariners

This alludes to the issue being a mental one for Kelenic, which has in turn compromised his ability to take advantage of his superior skill set. This held him back during his tenure in Seattle, with the Mariners at times chastising him about his emotional outbursts when things weren't going well, and just his general inability to handle the ups and downs of the game.

Certainly Kelenic seemed to be his own worst enemy and it all came to a head in July of 2023, when he fractured his left foot due to kicking a water cooler in frustration and was sent to the 10-day injured list. He did feel bad about letting his teammates down, but this incident all but sealed his fate when the Mariners traded him to the Braves during the offseason.

In fairness, a lot of us can attest to having moments they regret from their past, such is the impetuous nature of youth. It is only through experience that you grow and become more mature, and the Waukesha, Wisconsin native did seem to be in a better place during spring training.

Where does Jarred Kelenic go from here to save his career?

At the end of the day, no matter what Kelenic says it only matters to an extent and the cruel, harsh reality is that his performances on the field are at an all-time low. And whatever people may believe, we're not trying to prematurely dance on his grave; this truly sucks and nobody wants to see him crashing out of pro ball before even turning 27.

This of course leads to the question of where Kelenic goes from here, if results don't improve soon in Triple-A Charlotte? He's still young enough that he can conceivably go abroad to somewhere like Japan or Korea to see if he can figure things out, because whatever he's doing at the moment clearly isn't working out.

From a Mariners perspective, as much as you imagine the organization feels bad for what has happened to Kelenic, they still dodged disaster when he refused the long-term deal offered to him back in late 2019/early 2020. He instead decided to bet on himself and, as things stand, it's fair to assume he now regrets taking that gamble rather than securing some financial stability for his future.