Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic was 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Sunday's win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Kelenic is now hitting .272 with 10 homers and 29 RBI this season. It was the first home run in July for the 24-year-old after hitting six homers with 14 RBI in June. Kelenic has taken on an increased role following Ronald Acuna's injury and has rewarded patient fantasy managers.
Jarred Kelenic Comes Up Big In Wednesday Doubleheader
Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic had a big day in his team's doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. Kelenic started in center field and hit leadoff in both contests, combining to go 6-for-9 with one homer, four RBI, and a stolen base across both games. The 24-year-old has been a solid contributor for the Braves this season, hitting .282 with eight homers, 24 runs, 25 RBI, and three steals across 209 at-bats. He is worth a look as a reserve option in deeper mixed leagues and NL-only formats moving forward.
Jarred Kelenic Launches First Home Run Of The Season
Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic went 2-for-2 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Boston Red Sox. He blasted a two-run shot off Kutter Crawford in the bottom of the third inning to give the Braves a 2-0 lead. Kelenic's homer traveled 368 feet with an exit velocity of 97 mph. It was his home run for the Braves as well as the regular season. He is now slashing .280/.333/.373 with a home run, six RBI, and nine runs scored over 81 plate appearances in 2024. Kelenic will continue to sit against lefties in favor of Adam Duvall, and his long ball on Tuesday was his first hit over his last five games. Despite his recent struggles, Kelenic produces enough to be a fantasy starter in 12-plus team leagues or formats that require you to start five outfielders.
Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic is out of the starting lineup on Friday with the team facing a left-handed pitcher. Veteran Adam Duvall will instead get the start in left field and will bat ninth against the visiting Cleveland Guardians and left-hander Logan Allen. Kelenic is hitting a strong .314 (16-for-51), although he has yet to clear the fences and has driven in only three runs in his first year in Atlanta. He's also only had one plate appearance against a southpaw this year, so fantasy managers should continue to expect him to sit regularly when Atlanta opposes a lefty. Duvall is a career .233 hitters against lefties in 921 plate appearances with 47 homers and 132 RBI. He has two home runs on the season but is a low-upside DFS play in the nine-hole against a pitcher he's never faced in his career.
Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic is on the bench on Friday with the team facing a left-hander. With Kelenic starting on the bench, Adam Duvall will make the start in left field for Atlanta and hit sixth in the batting order versus Texas Rangers left-hander Andrew Heaney. It's not out of the ordinary for Kelenic to get benched against a left-handed pitcher and he could use the break right now after going 2-for-13 with six strikeouts in his last four games played. The 24-year-old former Seattle Mariner has otherwise enjoyed his time so far in Atlanta, going 14-for-39 (.359) but with no home runs and only three RBI to show for it in his first 14 games. Duvall is hitless in his two career at-bats against Heaney.
Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic will start Wednesday's game against southpaw Jose Quintana and the visiting New York Mets on the bench. The move to the bench against a left-hander comes as no surprise as the Braves added the righty-swinging Adam Duvall just before Opening Day to platoon with Kelenic in left field after he was originally scheduled to handle primary left-field duties with the Braves this season. Acquired in a trade with the Mariners this winter, the 24-year-old is off to a hot start, hitting .462 (9-for-26) but he is also without a home run or a stolen base and has struck out in 31% of his plate appearance, a trend that's continued from last season. Additionally, he sports a massive .706 BABIP that will crater sharply moving forward.
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 went 1-for-1 with his first homer of the spring on Tuesday to finish up his rough Grapefruit League. Acquired from the Seattle Mariners this offseason, the former top prospect was expected to be an everyday outfielder with his new club, but has struggled mightily this spring. Aside from his homer on Tuesday, Kelenic was a rough 8-for-56 with four RBI this spring. His struggles even led to the Braves bringing back outfielder Adam Duvall, who will likely take playing time away from the 24-year-old. Kelenic has always had huge potential, but he other than the first half of 2023, he has not shown much. His potential makes him a strong watch-list candidate in the deepest of leagues, but he does not warrant being drafted in most formats.
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.
