Jarred Kelenic came to the Atlanta Braves hoping to establish himself as a serviceable Major League outfielder. Things got off to a stellar start for the sixth overall pick. Kelenic experienced some highs and lows early on, but Kelenic ultimately turned in a pretty good first half of baseball.
Jared Kelenic’s last 15 games:
— Fuzzy (@fuzzyfromyt) June 26, 2024
.316-BA/5-HR/12-RBI 👀 pic.twitter.com/1R7nWlEd6C
However, the second half hasn't gone as well for Kelenic. The 25 year-old outfielder has been shifted to a bench role after the trade for Jorge Soler, return of Michael Harris II, and emergence of Ramon Laureano.
Kelenic's swing and miss is still keeping him from reaching his potential
A lot of factors can be attributed to Kelenic's second half struggles. Post All-Star break, Kelenic is slashing .178/.233/.318 with a .242 wOBA and 50 wRC+. One noticeable problem for Kelenic has been the swing and miss. It's a problem that has plagued him his entire career.
While Kelenic often hits the ball hard, but his whiff% (33.9%) ranks in the fourth percentile and his K% (30.4%) ranks in the seventh percentile according to Baseball Savant. This comes after ranking in the bottom below the tenth percentile in each last season. In fact, Kelenic has a K% in 30's for three consecutive seasons. The inability to find a solution in the swing and miss for Kelenic leads you to believe this is simply the player he is.
The downward spiral in offense has brought his season fWAR to 0.4 on the season. He's been basically replacement level for the Braves this year. The familiar flaw in Kelenic's game may be reason enough for the Braves to move on once the season concludes.
Kelenic has control and is a cheaper outfield option for Atlanta, but if the team is looking to upgrade the lineup next year left field is likely the spot they do so. Time will tell if they do so in the offseason, but should they choose to upgrade Kelenic's outfield spot we will know the reason why.