Photo by Ed Delany, MMN
Keith Law of ESPN updated his mid-season Top 50 prospects list. Coming in at No. 46 was Jarred Kelenic, the Mets first round pick from last month’s draft.
Kelenic recently made Baseball America’s Top 100 list and should be on MLB.com’s list too. Kelenic joined Casey Mize as the only two prospects picked in the 2018 draft to make Law’s list. Mize, the first overall pick, was ranked No. 14 on Law’s list.
Law had this to say regarding Kelenic: “The very early returns are positive; he went 19-for-46 in the GCL and was bumped right up to the Appy League, where he’s still making a ton of contact. The fact that he hasn’t been overmatched against pro pitching while hitting with a wood bat is very promising.”
Law also raved on Kelenic’s skillset with his only drawbacks being that he’s an older high school player and he’s from Wisconsin. Cold weather states often force players like Kelenic to face worse competition and they do not give scouts as much time to evaluate them.
I liked what I saw and read about Kelenic when beginning the draft process. Now, I like the selection even more. I think the hit tool is higher than he got credit for (which was due to the poor pitching he faced) and his arm strength is elite. He should be able to move through the system quickly and I would be a little surprised if he does not begin next year in Columbia or St. Lucie.
Law also mentioned Justin Dunn as a honorable mention on his list. Dunn has re-established himself as a top prospect after a poor 2018 season. The lanky righty has cut down on his walks from 2017 and has increased his strikeouts. His K-BB% is 18.3% this year as opposed to 6.2% last year. Reports have his velocity varying from 92-96 MPH and his slider has taken a big step forward this year. Law also said Peter Alonso is on his top 100 list but this was only a top 50 list.
The notable omission was Andres Gimenez. Gimenez is considered by most to be the Mets top prospect. His age and advanced makeup make is what makes him a exciting prospect. The 19-year-old is hitting .278/.345/.428 with six homers, 19 doubles, four triples, and is 26/37 on steals.
