New York Mets: Draft Pick Jarred Kelenic could be team's next big star

Wisconsin high school center fielder, Jarred Kelenic, who was drafted by the New York Mets sixth overall on Monday night, has a good chance at being the Mets’ next big star.

The New York Mets selected Wisconsin high school center fielder Jarred Kelenic with the number six pick in the 2018 MLB Players Draft on Monday night.

Kelenic is the first Wisconsin prep player to be drafted in the top ten. He helped the USA Baseball’s 18-and-under team win gold medals at the 2016 Pan American Games and the 2017 Baseball World Cup.

Mets vice president of amateur scouting, Tommy Tanous, told Zach Braziller of the New York Post:

"“[Kelenic] was the best player on the board and we felt really strong about him, It didn’t have a lot to do with high school or college at that point. One of the things we were looking for picking this high was a position player that has two-way value. We feel that Jarred is a young man that possesses tools to give him a well-rounded game. We think he’s going to hit, play defense and add value on the bases. That was something that was attractive to us.”"

Kelenic could very well become the next big star for the Mets. His ranking as the sixth best draft prospect by ESPN’s Keith Law and the eighth-best by Fangraphs is encouraging.

In addition, he is rthe 10th best by MLB.com and the 12th prospect by Baseball America. People are considering him to have the best bat out of high-school in the entire draft.

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“He’s universally considered one of the best pure hitters in the class, with good feel for the strike zone and a mechanically-sound swing that he repeats well,” John Sickels of Minor League Ball said of Kelenic. “His hitting skills are quite polished, especially for a cold-weather bat.”

In addition to being a great hitter, Kelenic is great on defense as well. He has great power, speed, and arm strength. His arm strength is so good that he could play left or right field instead of center field when needed.

Kelenic is being compared to Mark Kotsay and Brandon Nimmo. Who are pretty worthy MLB comparisons.

Tanous went on to say about the similarities of Kelenic and Nimmo:

"“I would say the main characteristic [Kelenic and Nimmo] both hold is they control the strike zone extremely well, They know the zone. They know which pitches they’re looking to hit. They, more importantly, know what pitches to take. I would say Jarred is a little stronger at the same age and has played at a little higher competition, but there are some similarities.”"

Nimmo is the best Mets player right now. Currently, he is hitting .276 with seven home runs, 14 RBIs, and a .421 on-base percentage.

Nimmo has been one of the few bright spots for the Mets this season. So, if Kelenic is as good as people say he is, then he will be the next big star for the Mets.

Next: Callaway is a beaten man

This is the Mets’ highest selection is a while. Hopefully, he lives up to potential and does end up becoming the next star for the Amazins’.

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New York Mets: Draft Pick Jarred Kelenic could be team’s next big star

By Alex Jordan | Jun 6, 2018

Wisconsin high school center fielder, Jarred Kelenic, who was drafted by the New York Mets sixth overall on Monday night, has a good chance at being the Mets’ next big star.

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