It may not have been the high profile outfield addition White Sox fans were hoping for, but make no mistake about it, the White Sox were excited to land OF Jarred Kelenic. The 26 year-old former first-round pick was on the team’s radar during the 2018 draft, and now the organization has found an opportunity to add a player they’ve scouted for a long time. Kelenic’s career undoubtedly hasn’t gone the way he imagined it so far, but both Kelenic and the White Sox are excited for another opportunity to tap into his potential in 2026, and it seems both sides already have a plan in place.
“Chicago’s my favorite city that I’ve been in,” Kelenic said to reporters on a zoom call earlier this week. Regarding some mechanical adjustments that need to be made, Kelenic gave some specific examples.
“I have a tendency to get stuck back, and my poster can be a little bit more leaned back,” Kelenic said. “Anyone that knows the swing, when your posture is back, your barrel, it takes a while for it to get in the zone. It actually goes in and out of the zone pretty fast, so it doesn’t work. It can be tough dealing with change of speed when they’re adding and subtracting on you”
With the additions of Anthony Kay, Everson Pereira, and Kelenic, the White Sox have added several high-reward flyers to their roster this offseason, and Kelenic may have the highest upside of them all. He has met several times with members of the White Sox staff already this offseason, so the work has already gotten started with just under a month remaining until Spring Training. At his best, Kelenic is a legitimate power-speed threat from the left side of the plate, and the key to his success will be limiting the strikeouts and making more contact.
Kelenic is on a minor league deal and isn’t currently on the 40-man roster, but the White Sox outfield mix has some looming questions, and he’ll have every opportunity to earn a roster spot in the Spring. As it stands right now, a platoon between Kelenic and Pereira seems like the likely plan in right field, though it would benefit the White Sox to add another option for depth.
Kelenic is looking to follow in the footsteps of recent Sox success stories
The White Sox have a couple recent examples of success in swing adjustments with young hitters. Miguel Vargas looked like a completely different hitter after his swing change in late April. Breakout star Colson Montgomery spent two weeks in Arizona with hitting director Ryan Fuller before his turnaround. Kelenic will look to be Fuller’s third success story in two years, and the potential benefit to the White Sox is enormous.
Jarred Kelenic just went 482 to dead center at Wrigley. The breakout is finally happening. pic.twitter.com/F1u6Muc658
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 12, 2023
He’s far from a guarantee, but Kelenic is certainly a worthwhile gamble for the White Sox, who have little expectation of competing in 2025 and can offer a low-pressure opportunity for Kelenic to tap into the potential that had him ranked as a top ten prospect in baseball just a few years ago. The White Sox can feel confident about their plan for developing hitters, and the organization’s excitement about landing a talent like Kelenic should inspire fans with confidence as well.
The White Sox and Kelenic are excited to have found each other, and if things go right, Chicago could be Kelenic's home for a long time.