Prospect News: Winter Meetings or The Kelenic Question

A player doesn’t strike out or not because of where he’s at in the batting order. I start here because I’ve read some thoughts suggesting Jarred Kelenic will be instantly better at making contact simply because he’ll bat lower in the lineup. I’m not saying that’s an impossible outcome; I just think there’s a correlation versus causation conversation there. Even if he does play better in Atlanta, I’m more likely to chalk that up to coaching and reps than I am a number next to his name. Another thing that will make a positive difference is the home ballpark. Lefties face an uphill (up-current?) battle in Seattle, while Truist plays closer to neutral with a little lean toward pitcher-friendliness.  Let’s get a quick look at the particulars.  Seattle gets RHP Cole Phillips, RHP Jackson Kowar, P Budget Relief Atlanta gets OF Jarred Kelenic, LHP Marco Gonzales, 1B Evan White