Jarred Kelenic Signs Shock Minor-League Deal with White Sox, Aims for 2026 MLB Comeback

Jarred Kelenic’s baseball journey will add a South Side chapter in 2026. According to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, the Chicago White Sox have signed the 26-year-old outfielder to a minor-league contract that includes a non-roster invitation to spring training. The move gives the White Sox a low-risk, high-upside flier on a player once viewed as a future superstar. Kelenic, the sixth-overall pick in the 2018 draft and former top prospect with the Mariners, has shown flashes of elite tools—above-average power, speed and outfield defense—but has yet to translate them into consistent big-league production. In parts of five MLB seasons with Seattle and Atlanta, he owns a .211 batting average, 49 home runs and a .658 OPS. Why the White Sox pounced 1. Left-handed thump: Chicago finished 13th in the American League in slugging percentage against right-handed pitching last year. Kelenic’s career .426 slugging vs. righties provides a potential platoon boost. 2. Center-field depth: With Luis Robert Jr. routinely drawing trade rumors, the Sox need insurance up the middle. Kelenic has logged more than 1,000 MLB innings in center and grades out as at least average by most defensive metrics. 3. Age and upside: Unlike typical minor-league signees, Kelenic won’t turn 27 until mid-season, leaving room for a late-bloomer breakout similar to Jack Suwinski or Taylor Ward in recent years. What went wrong in Atlanta Kelenic’s stint with the Braves lasted just one season. He spent most of 2025 at Triple-A Gwinnett, hitting .213 with a .595 OPS and electing free agency after being outrighted off Atlanta’s 40-man roster in October. Poor swing decisions—his chase rate ranked in the bottom 15 percentile—paired with elevated whiff totals prevented him from sticking in a loaded Braves outfield. Path to the big-league roster Kelenic will enter Glendale as the favorite to claim a corner-outfield bench spot if he shows improved plate discipline. The White Sox currently project Andrew Vaughn, Gavin Sheets and prospect Colson Montgomery to rotate between first base, right field and DH. A hot spring from Kelenic could push Sheets into a pure DH role and give new manager Will Venable a lefty bat capable of spelling Robert Jr. in center. Key development goals • Shorten the swing: Atlanta’s staff tried to quiet a high leg kick; Chicago’s hitting group may double down on keeping his front foot down early to reduce swing-and-miss. • Attack fastballs: Kelenic slugged .504 vs. heaters in his standout 2023 season but only .339 last year. Regaining fastball damage is priority one. • Maintain confidence: Scouts note Kelenic presses when results dip. A non-roster scenario in a rebuilding environment could ease external pressure. Big-picture impact If Kelenic clicks, the White Sox could uncover a controllable everyday outfielder through 2029, a massive win for a club accelerating its youth movement. If he falters, the cost is little more than a spring-training locker and a minor-league salary. For a franchise seeking upside anywhere it can find it, the Jarred Kelenic gamble is a bet worth making.