After Futures Game, Waukesha's Kelenic Eyes Return To Bigs

DENVER, CO —Waukesha West grad Jarred Kelenic was at Coors Field Sunday night playing in the 2021 MLB All-Star Futures Game, which brought together the best young prospects in baseball two days before Tuesday night's All-Star Game.

While many of the up-and-coming stars would have been ecstatic to play in the Futures Game, Kelenic, 21, can be forgiven if the experience was a little bittersweet. The Seattle Mariners prospect previously appeared in the 2019 Futures Game in Cleveland as a 19 year old. But Kelenic must have thought his Futures Game days were behind him when he was called up to the Mariners this past May 13.

However, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft struggled. In 23 games, 83 at-bats, Kelenic hit .096 (8 for 83), with two home runs, six RBIs and 26 strikeouts. He was sent back to Triple-A Tacoma on June 6.

But since returning to the minors, Kelenic has been on fire, hitting .320 with nine home runs in 125 at-bats. In fact, the Seattle Times reported that Kelenic could return to the majors as soon as Friday following the All-Star break.

"You know, I'm ready to go back," Kelenic said. "I feel like the numbers I've put up, where I'm at mentally, I definitely think I'm ready to go back. And hopefully, it's sooner rather than later."

In the Futures Game, Kelenic started in left field for the American League squad and grounded out to second base in his only at-bat. But he told the New York Post before the game that he was just trying to savor the entire experience.

"I'm excited to be here, this being my second time now. I'm looking forward to taking this one and slowing it down and really enjoying it," said Kelenic, who was drafted by the New York Mets and traded to the Mariners in December of 2018.

Kelenic continued: "Last time (in 2019), I felt like it went by so fast because I was excited to be here. First time playing in front of that many people. And today I'm looking forward to just slowing it down and really enjoying it with this group of guys."

Now, focused on a return to the bigs, Kelenic said he's learned some important lessons from his first stint in Seattle, like not obsessing and stressing when he struggles.

"It's just understanding the controllables," Kelenic said. "Once you understand the things you can and can't control, this game just mentally gets a lot easier. And that's really what I've been focusing all my attention on. My ability is what it is. And as long as I can focus on what I can and can't control, the rest will take care of itself."

Has Kelenic, who entered this season as the No. 4 prospect on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list, been humbled by his month in the majors and subsequent demotion?

"From the outside looking in, I can understand why people think that, you know, I've been humbled," Kelenic said. "But I feel like I've never been somebody that has been too high about anything. It was definitely a big learning adjustment that I had to make. And I know five years from now, two years from now, when I look back on this it's probably going to be the best thing that's ever happened."