Jarred Kelenic Poised to Make Brodie Van Wagenen Look Extremely Stupid

From the moment Jarred Kelenic was drafted, he was on the top 100 prospects list. Kelenic has been skyrocketing on prospects lists ever since the Mets drafted him with the sixth overall pick in the 2018 draft. However, he would only spend on season in the Mets system. Then GM, Brodie Van Wagenen, shipped Kelenic to the Seattle Mariners in return for Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano. As it stands right now, Kelenic sits at number 4 in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list. Meanwhile, Robinson Cano is suspended for the entire 2021 season after testing positive for a banned substance.

Cano was very disappointing in his first season with the Mets in 2019. To make matters worse, Edwin Diaz forgot how to pitch and went from the most dominant closer in the game to throwing batting practice. Mets fans were furious after 2019 as they saw Kelenic keep climbing the ranks and Diaz and Cano flounder. Kelenic is an extremely special player and along with Kyle Lewis and Julio Rodriguez, will make the Mariners outfield extremely fun to watch.

Kelenic’s Tools

There is nothing Kelenic is bad at. He was heralded as the top high school bat in his draft class and he has more than lived up to that title. He makes hard contact consistently and drives the ball to all fields. Kelenic has also developed some pop in is bat. At the Mariners alternate site, he found the seats often, especially to the pull side. He will most likely make his Major League debut sometime early this season. But only after the Super 2 deadline has passed so the Mariners get that extra year of control. Jarred Kelenic will be an all-star outfielder for the Seattle Mariners. It is not a matter of if, but a matter of when.

BVW Crushed the Mets

There is no doubt BVW brought some flare to the Mets that they did not have. He was vocal and active. However, he crush the Mets farm system. I understand why he made the trade. He thought he was bringing in a lights out closer and a guy who could slide into the third spot in the lineup on opening day. However, relievers are extremely volatile and Cano was coming off a suspension shortened season. Diaz was one of, if not the best closer in 2018, and BVW hoped that success would carry over. It did not in 2019, but in 2020 Diaz pitched much better. He still has not pitched to the level he did in 2018, and it makes giving up Kelenic that much worse.

BVW traded away a lot of the Mets near MLB ready prospects in his tenure, including Justin Dunn. Dunn was included in the Diaz and Cano trade as well. He also traded away Anthony Kay, who is primed to be a key contributor for the Blue Jays rotation in the Marcus Stroman trade. Stroman is poised to be the Mets second or third starter to start the year. Once BVW was fired, he left the top of the Mets farm system depleted of talent. However, he did draft pretty well with guys like Brett Baty, Matt Allen, JT Ginn, and Pete Crow-Armstrong. They are all years away from making the bigs, but look to be key contributors in a few years.

Final Thoughts

The idea of a Jarred Kelenic and Michael Conforto outfield is salivating for Mets fans. However, Mariners fan will reap the benefits of one of the Mets best draft picks in years. He will contribute from the word go and be a perennial all-star in the American League. It hurts knowing that he won’t be patrolling Citi Field, and Mets fans have Brodie Van Wagenen to thank for that.

-Pete Chatterton (@Pchat12)

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