Mariners top prospect Jarred Kelenic hits 1st spring HR — and he called it
Mar 2, 2020, 5:05 PM | Updated: 5:15 pm
Mariners outfield prospect Jarred Kelenic hit his first home run of the spring Monday. (Getty)
(Getty)
The Mariners fell 9-6 to the Rockies in Peoria, Ariz., on Monday, but never fear – there was a monster highlight.
Mariners notebook: Spring comes with valuable big-game experience
Jarred Kelenic hit his first home run of the spring, which was also his first in a Cactus League game. Kelenic, a 20-year-old outfielder who was the Mariners’ top prospect in MLB.com’s latest rankings revealed Monday, hit the blast in front of a good throng of family and friends, with his parents, grandparents, aunt and uncle, and girlfriend all in attendance.
“They were excited,” he said. “We are all going over to the house my parents rented here, it’s pretty special.”
The first of many. #MarinersST x @JKelenic_1019. pic.twitter.com/bDvY1YGzwT
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) March 2, 2020
Mariners manager Scott Servais tipped the media off to the fact that Kelenic called his shot, and Kelenic confirmed it.
“I called it,” Kelenic admitted. “In the most non-arrogant way possible. I looked at (Rockies pitcher Alexander Guillen‘s) fastball and I said to (Mariners major league field coordinator Carson Vitale), ‘If I get one heater I am going to hit it out.’ I swear.”
And hit it out he did.
Kelenic went 2 for 2 on the day and now has a .357 average and 1.111 OPS in 14 Cactus League at-bats.
Evan White and Kyle Seager were the other Mariners standouts from the game. After missing five games due to mild groin tightness, White checked with a 2-for-3 effort with a double and two RBIs. He also went first to third on a ball we haven’t seen a Mariners first baseman go first to third on in years.
As for Seager, what slow start? He was 3 for 3 with two doubles and an RBI, raising his spring numbers to a .455 average and 1.100 OPS after 11 at-bats.
Roster moves
Before the game, Seattle reassigned the following players to minor leagues camp:
• RHP Jack Anderson
• RHP Darren McCaughan
• RHP Wyatt Mills
• RHP Penn Murfee
• INF Jordan Cowan
• INF Connor Hoover
• OF Eric Filia
• OF Luis Liberato
The major league spring training roster is now at 62 players.
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