For former first round pick Jarred Kelenic, it’s only been a matter of time before something clicked and he started producing offensively. It seems like after two rough seasons in the Majors, 2023 is the year Kelenic will produce.

He is starting strong with a 1.044 OPS on the year and an xSLG of .688, which puts him in the top 1% of the league. Let’s look at what’s changed from this season compared to last.

If you prefer video breakdowns, check out this video:

Much Improved Bat to Ball Skills

This is the difference maker for Kelenic. His approach has pretty much stayed consistent in terms of how often he swings and while he is chasing less, the biggest improvement is in his contact rates.

His zone contact rate improved by 10%, whiff rate by 9%, and strikeout rate by 8%:

His strikeout rate is still above Major League average (22%), but an 8% drop is a huge improvement.

Better Utilizing His Power

Power has consistently been one of Kelenic’s biggest strengths throughout his Minor League career, but he hasn’t been able to harness it at the Major League level. At least not until this season.

In the table below, you can see how drastically Kelenic’s ISO changes depending on the level.

While his .348 ISO so far this season will be nearly impossible to maintain, there is nothing so far that suggests that it will drop all the way down to where it was in MLB in 2021 or 2022.

Kelenic’s hard hit rate is in the top 4% of the league at 58%, and he improved his barrel rate to 18%, which is more than double that of Major League average (7%).

The barrelled balls are in the darkest red section of the graphic above. The graphic demonstrates how many balls Kelenic has successfully barrelled or at least gotten very solid contact on.

How He Improved: Adjustments to His Swing

So how is it that Kelenic is suddenly making more contact and better utilizing his power? Over the off-season it looks like he made some significant changes to his swing.

Looking at his pre-pitch stance, there are at least two major changes that caught my eye:

1. His hands and elbow are closer to his head.
2. He is less crouched and standing more straight up.
3. His feet might be closer together in a tighter/less open stance. (This one might not be true, it was hard to tell with limited camera angles).

Then looking at his load position, there are two changes:

1. He has a more vertical bat
2. He has a slightly less dramatic leg kick

Based on watching a few videos of his new swing, it seems like the biggest improvement is that it is significantly more fluid than his old swing. Starting in a more upright stance allows him to reach that leg kick in a smoother manner to load and shift weight toward the back side of his body. The more vertical bat during load allows him to get on plane more quickly.

Overall, there are fewer movements throughout the swing. This makes it simpler and more repeatable than his swings in years past.

Knowing Kelenic made concrete changes and that he’s always had the necessary power to be an impact bat, I’m hopeful that he can continue contributing in a big way this season.