Too soon to tell
Jarred Kelenic, the most-hyped AL rookie this side of Arozarena, debuted for the Mariners Thursday against Cleveland. Eight plate appearances into what is expected to be a long major league life, he has a home run, three RBIs and a slash line that would be stupid good if it meant anything.
The Mariners gave Kelenic a chance after he pretty much showed that he would destroy Triple-A pitching if left in Tacoma, where he was batting .370 with a 1.043 OPS when promoted.
He’s obviously worth watching.
So is Garrett Crochet. A two-week stint on the injury list interrupted a promising start that included allowing just one earned run in his first nine innings. Back in uniform, Crochet has picked up where he left off, lowering his ERA to 0.84. But he’s fewer than 11 innings into his career, so anointing him as the next Devin Williams is premature.
Speculating about Wander Franco is even more premature. In the early off-season speculation, the Rays’ middle infielder was touted as a Rookie of the Year darkhorse. With reason, since he is listed as the No. 1 prospect by Baseball America.
But Rays management decided to leave Franco behind when the team broke spring camp, and it is now considered questionable whether he ever sees the inside of the Trop this season. Since he’s only 20, Franco has plenty of time to make a mark. But you can’t win Rookie of the Year in Durham.