Another Day 1 of the MLB Draft, and another big Wisconsin storyline. The last three years of the MLB Draft have now seen a Wisconsin native taken in the first round, starting in 2016 with Gavin Lux (Indian Trail HS, Los Angeles Dodgers, 20th Overall), then 2017 Jeren Kendall (Holmen HS, Vanderbilt, Los Angeles Dodgers, 23rd Overall), and now Jarred Kelenic (Waukesha) putting his name higher than any other Wisconsin-born prospect in history, as the 6th overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, by the New York Mets.

Jarred Kelenic, OF, Waukesha West HS, 2018
1st Round, 6th Overall, New York Mets

Report from Super 60 2/4/18 - Louisville recruit. Currently ranked No. 2 overall in the PBR Draft 100 list, and after delivering one of the single best performances in 16 years of the Super 60, it's easy to see why he's widely considered a high first-round draft prospect. ... 6-foot-1, 190-pound left-handed hitting outfielder, advanced strength, rock-solid muscle throughout; overall explosive and polished quick-twitch athlete. True five-tool prospect. ... As the only junior at the Super 60 last year, Kelenic was unequivocally the top prospect in attendance, and he easily surpassed his expectations this year. Kicked off his day by running a 6.55 laser-timed 60, second fastest at the event. Defensively, he consistently fired mid-90 mph strikes to the catcher, topping at 96. Moves with confidence, natural outfield actions, fields the ball with rhythm while gradually gaining speed; ball explodes out of the hand. ... Offensively, he's remarkably balanced, quiet, consistent and, above all, explosive. FlightScope data illustrates exactly how consistent Kelenic was during his two BP rounds. He did not register an exit velocity below 93 mph, with a high of 104.39, and an average of 99.08. Nine of his 12 hits went over 325 feet, with an average of 310 and a best blow of 380.15. His launch angles were remarkably consistent, too, with an average of 20.1 degrees. No hitter at the Super 60 delivered as consistent FlightScope results as Kelenic, further highlighting his offensive polish.

 

Jarred Kelenic has been the wire to wire No. 1 prospect in the state since his freshman year, and it's no surprise to us that our amateur coverage of Kelenic comes to an end on day one of the MLB draft. Since we first saw the young outfielder as an eighth grader, he’s been head and shoulders above his peers, and its by no accident.

We can bore you with the history of the MLB draft, show you his video and report as a 14 year old (which we will...it’s pretty impressive), or take you line by line through the 3-4 scrolls of your mouse that makes up his news history (which we encourage you to do in your spare time).

3/16/14 - 6-foot, 165-pound left handed outfielder, highly projectable athlete, huge ceiling. Youngest prospect in attendance, eighth grader, projects to be a high level prospect. Offensively hits from the left side, balanced stance, slightly crouched and narrower setup. Advanced bat speed for his age, highly aggressive swing, creates some natural lift, gets extension. Hands are loose, quick and athletic. 84 mph exit velocity from the tee. Defensively is just as aggressive, attacks the baseball, quick footwork, works through the baseball well. Typical outfield arm action, long over the top slot, advanced arm strength for age, 82 mph from the crow hop, quick arm. Yet to enter high school Kelenic looks to be well on his way to being one of the top prospects in the state.

 

The bottom line is, from this scout’s candid opinion, Jarred Kelenic will be a big leaguer. You can compare his tools to any present or former major leaguer you want, but the tool that separates Kelenic is the fact that he wants to be a big leaguer more than anything. His ability and determination to grind on a daily basis is what ultimately will make him successful and why every MLB team was willing to spend millions of dollars on him. His tools speak for themselves, but put his grind in a major league development program, and he can be as great as he wants to be.

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