“Rooting for a comeback story for the ages” “Here comes some angry strikeouts” - Seattle Mariners fans divided as team calls up Jarred Kelenic, who struggled on MLB roster in 2021

Seattle Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic has had a rough MLB career so far. He appeared in 93 games for the Mariners in his rookie season last year and had a slash line of .181/.265/.615 with 14 home runs, 43 RBIs, and 106 strikeouts.

Kelenic spent time going back and forth Triple-A and the main roster this year. He's played in 40 games this year with a measly stat line of .124/.187/.452 with four home runs and 12 RBIs. In his 86 games played with the Tacoma Rainiers, he's currently batting .295/.365/.922 with 18 home runs and 65 RBIs.

After a dismal 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Oakland Athletics, the playoff contending Seattle Mariners made a few moves to their main roster. They recalled Jarred Kelenic and selected the minor league contract of Luis Torrens. They also optioned Taylor Trammell and designated Jake Lamb for assignment in the process.

After a dismal 2021 campaign, Seattle Mariners fans remain divided about the young player's future with the main squad. Some are questioning his inclusion, while others are rooting for him to find his form.

Fans are divided over the former high-ranking prospect. However, Seattle Mariners skipper Scott Servais expressed his confidence with Kelenic in an interview with the Seattle Times.

Kelenic would certainly have the work cut out for him as the Mariners are in the hunt for the playoffs but have faltered recently.

Seattle Mariners' race to the finish line

The Mariners are in a concerning spot at the moment. They've won just four of their last 10 games, including two losses each to the bottom dwelling Los Angeles Angels and the Oakland Athletics.

They still hold the final Wild Card spot in the American League, but the Baltimore Orioles are hot on their tails and are just four games behind. With the rest of their schedule including other lowly teams in the Royals, Rangers, and Tigers, the Mariners' finishing ability will be put to the test in the final weeks of the season.

About the author

Daniel Santiago is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. He was drawn towards the sport after the underlying statistics and the analysis surrounding it grabbed his attention.

Daniel particularly enjoys furnishing reports about historic events in baseball and analyzing the game through a statistic-based outlook, based on Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference. This is in line with how he enjoyed watching baseball as a pastime. As a writer, he is very particular about cross-checking from reputable sources and doing his due diligence.

He became a lifelong Hideki Matsui fan after his exploits in the 2009 World Series for the New York Yankees. Among the current generation, Daniel's favorites include Shohei Ohtani and Jung Hoo Lee. Daniel is a huge follower of Asian baseball and both Ohtani and Lee have been in the top echelon of their respective leagues during their time with the NPB and KBO.

His favorite moment as a baseball fan was the final at-bat of the 2023 World Baseball Classic between Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. He believes there aren't many words to fittingly describe the intensity of the moment.

As an avid sports fan, Daniel watches other sports and Esports when not writing about baseball.

Know More