Mariners former top-rated prospect starts over with AL West rival

Jarred Kelenic’s continued search for some stability since being traded by the Mariners sees him sign a deal with the Rangers organization.

Following an indifferent start to the 2026 season, the Seattle Mariners are now on a roll and are — dare we say it — the hottest team in baseball. Following Tuesday night’s 8-3 win over the New York Mets they’ve taken four of their past five series, while their eight consecutive victories is the longest current winning streak in the majors.

Of note though, the team with the second-longest winning streak is in their own division, with the Texas Rangers on a five-game run of victories. We’re still not entirely convinced the Houston Astros are done, just because of what they’ve achieved over the past decade, but as of right now it would appear the Rangers are the biggest threat to the Mariners’ chances of repeating as AL West champions.

With this in mind, the Rangers have made a move which should be of some interest back in Seattle, after signing Jarred Kelenic to a minor league deal. That would be the same Jarred Kelenic who at one time was the Mariners’ top-rated prospect (and fourth overall in the majors), even ahead of a certain Julio Rodríguez.

Jarred Kelenic needs to stop history repeating itself with the White Sox

Kelenic agreed the deal just a couple of days after electing for free agency due to being outrighted by the Chicago White Sox, and has been assigned to Triple-A Round Rock. He had done well enough in Triple-A Charlotte this year for the White Sox, highlighted by a .810 OPS in 26 games, but failed to take advantage of his opportunity when called up to the majors.

The problem for Kelenic is this is a case of repeating his history of doing well in the minors, but then falling flat at the Major League level. He has a career .272 batting average and .833 OPS in 420 minor league games, compared to .211 and .656 respectively in 426 big league appearances.

As much as the 2018 sixth overall draft pick was somewhat of a polarizing player during his time in Seattle, at no point was his actual talent being questioned per se. It’s more about his mental makeup and approach to the game, which has compromised the chances of fulfilling his potential.

Mariners saw a glimpse of what Jarred Kelenic could do in 2023, but ultimately he couldn’t get out of his own way

That potential was most on display in 2023 with the Mariners, as Kelenic set a number of Major League career highs including a 2.1 bWAR, 49 RBI, .746 OPS and 111 OPS+ over 105 games. However, he all but sealed his demise in Seattle after breaking his foot on a Gatorade cooler in July that year due to frustration, convincing the organization that it was best to move on without him.

This resulted in the Mariners trading Kelenic to the Atlanta Braves following the 2023 season, where he ultimately failed despite being given more than enough time to prove himself. The Rangers are his fifth organization and we do wish him all the best, but despite still only being 26, you do worry that his time is fast running out to show he has a future in baseball at the Major League level.

You can still make a case that Kelenic has what it takes to succeed if he’s placed in the right situation, with his combination of power, speed and arm strength. However, if you continue to repeat the same path every time you join a new organization, at some point it has to be accepted that right situation is just not there for a player, with him threatening to become a story of what could have been.

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rogers Photography

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