Jarred Kelenic's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic will head to the bench on Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks with the team facing a left-handed pitcher. With Kelenic starting on the pine, Adam Duvall will make the start in left field for the Braves and will hit sixth against Diamondbacks left-hander Tommy Henry. It's not going to be uncommon for Kelenic to sit against left-handed hurlers, at least early on in 2024. The 35-year-old Duvall has three hits and three RBI in his first 10 at-bats of the 2024 season in three games and will be a sneaky DFS play against a soft-tossing left-hander on Friday. Duvall is a career .233 hitter with 45 home runs and 127 RBI in 897 plate appearances against southpaw. He's never faced Henry in his career.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic ended his spring training on a positive note in Tuesday's 9-6 Grapefruit League loss to the Twins. Kelenic only had one at-bat, hitting a 452-foot solo home run off Louie Varland in the third inning. It was a bright spot in an otherwise dreary spring for the 24-year-old, as he batted just .143 in 56 spring at-bats and did not have a HR until Tuesday. However, the former first-round pick has been working with hitting coach Kevin Seitzer in an attempt to unlock his potential. Kelenic did show some positive signs in 2023, but it remains to be seen if he can provide fantasy impact with his new team.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic has been told he will be in a platoon in left field alongside the newly-signed Adam Duvall this upcoming season. Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said earlier in the offseason he was leaning toward playing Kelenic every day in left after acquiring him in a trade from the Seattle Mariners. Perhaps a tough spring from Kelenic has led to the Duvall signing, as Kelenic is just 3-for-34 (.088) with no homers, one stolen base, and a .272 OPS across 12 games and 38 trips to the plate in Grapefruit League action. The 24-year-old former top prospect hit .253 with 11 home runs, 13 stolen bases, and a .746 OPS across 105 games with the Mariners in 2023, including a .259 average and a .774 OPS off of left-handed pitching. His fantasy value certainly takes a hit with the reduced playing time, but he still boasts a solid combination of power and speed that could take another step forward in the 2024 campaign.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic went 0-for-1 with a pair of walks in Sundays Grapefruit League contest versus the rival Philadelphia Phillies. The former top prospect was acquired from the Seattle Mariners earlier in the offseason and is coming off of his best year as a pro with a .253 batting average to go along with 11 homers, 49 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 105 games. The Braves are expected to use Kelenic as an everyday outfielder and their should be less pressure on the 24-year-old with many star teammates in a powerful Braves lineup. Kelenic is worth continuing to roster in dynasty leagues and makes for an intriguing upside play in redraft formats.

Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos said the team is leaning toward playing outfielder Jarred Kelenic every day rather than having him start in a platoon in 2024 in his first year with the club. The Braves think he'll benefit more from everyday at-bats, even if he struggles early like Michael Harris II did. Atlanta doesn't really have an obvious platoon partner for the 24-year-old to begin with anyway. The former first-rounder in 2018 was a big disappointment in his first two big-league seasons with the Seattle Mariners before hitting .253 (94-for-372) with 11 home runs, 49 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 105 games in 2023 before fracturing his left foot when he kicked a water cooler in the dugout out of frustration. He has struck out a third of the time in the big leagues, but if he can bring the gains he made last year into 2024 with his new team, he'll have plenty of fantasy appeal.