![\"Atlanta](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ctc-z-Rays_Braves_Baseball_12795-2be4a_1080032215_196760954.jpg\")
Atlanta Braves’ Jarred Kelenic hits a two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo\/John Bazemore)<\/p>\nGLENDALE, Ariz. \u2014 Chicago White Sox nonroster invitee Jarred Kelenic has had some positive results recently in Cactus League games. But the outfielder knows there\u2019s more than one way to dissect an at-bat.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really, as hard as it is, try to stay away from the results,\u201d Kelenic said on Friday. \u201cResults give confidence to anybody, that\u2019s kind of a given. But I\u2019ve hit a lot of balls hard in play that have been outs.<\/p>\n
\u201cI take those just as much as I take the balls hit in the gap. I\u2019m definitely feeling good.\u201d<\/p>\n
That mindset has been paying off at camp as the Waukesha, Wis., native continues to compete for a roster spot.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d say (this is) the most confident it\u2019s been in a long time,\u201d Kelenic said of his swing. \u201cI\u2019m getting to pitches I usually do. I\u2019m still not fully there, but it\u2019s still early in spring. I feel like I\u2019m really getting the barrel to the inside pitch, staying inside of it. Not rolling over. That\u2019s a good sign. It\u2019s probably the best I\u2019ve felt.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s more the mental more than anything, just having that confidence. Because at the end of the day, the game is quick. If you\u2019re not confident, that\u2019s the difference between a foul ball and a ball hit in the gap.\u201d<\/p>\n
Atlanta Braves’ Jarred Kelenic hits a two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo\/John Bazemore)<\/p>\n
Kelenic, 26, has been hitting balls out of the park recently. He is one of five Sox with two home runs entering Monday.<\/p>\n
He hit a three-run home run on Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Ariz. He had a solo home run as part of a two-hit game on Sunday against the Kansas City Royals at Camelback Ranch.<\/p>\n
The second hit on Sunday got away from the right fielder and Kelenic kept running. When the Royals made another error on the relay throw to third base, Kelenic headed home for the little league home run.<\/p>\n
Overall, Kelenic entered Monday 6-for-23 (a .261 average) with one double, two home runs, five RBIs, eight strikeouts and one walk in eight Cactus League games.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe things we highlighted with him with his athleticism, his defensive ability, the pop and what he can do at the plate \u2014 it\u2019s all showing up now,\u201d manager Will Venable said on Monday. \u201cIt\u2019s really about the way he\u2019s gone about his business and staying online and staying focused on the things that matter and that he can control. We\u2019re seeing the results when he\u2019s able to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kelenic agreed to a minor-league deal<\/a> with the Sox in the offseason.<\/p>\n A first-round draft pick by the New York Mets in 2018, Kelenic has a career .211\/.282\/.376 slash line with 49 home runs, 156 RBIs and 130 walks during parts of five seasons with the Seattle Mariners (2021-23) and Atlanta Braves (2024-25).<\/p>\n Cactus League report: Rosters are shaping up for the Cubs and Sox \u2014 and the World Baseball Classic heats up<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Kelenic played in a career-high 131 games for the Braves in 2024. He spent the bulk of 2025 at Triple-A Gwinnett (95 games), and also hit .167 with two home runs and two RBIs in 24 games with the Braves.<\/p>\n Kelenic used some of the ups and downs as an opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cThat has ultimately made me into who I am today, just from an approach standpoint, from the outlook of my own self,\u201d he said. \u201cI can\u2019t just generalize it into one thing, but just trying to take those times that weren\u2019t so great and turn them into a learning opportunity, because that\u2019s the only way you\u2019re going to get better.<\/p>\n \u201cThe game\u2019s hard, the game sucks sometimes, it will beat you down. At the end of the day, you\u2019ve just got to stick to your strengths and superpowers and ride with those. And have as much confidence as you can in yourself, even in a game where you\u2019re set up to fail.\u201d<\/p>\n Kelenic is trying to be a factor in an outfield mix<\/a> that features Andrew Benintendi<\/a>, Austin Hays, Brooks Baldwin and Luisangel Acu\u00f1a. Everson Pereira, Derek Hill and Tristan Peters are also among the options.<\/p>\n \u201cHe keeps doing what he\u2019s doing, it\u2019s going to make us have some tough decisions here,\u201d Venable said of Kelenic. \u201cThat\u2019s what we want. We\u2019ve given these guys transparency that there is a path for a lot of these guys. They\u2019re going to make it hard for us, and that\u2019s what we want.<\/p>\n \u201cThat means we\u2019re in a good spot when we have these tough decisions to make.\u201d<\/p>\n Sox make 3 roster moves
\n![\"Chicago](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ctc-z-White-Sox-Mariners-Baseball_259883727.jpg\")
Chicago White Sox pitcher Wikelman Gonz\u00e1lez throws during the third inning of a spring training game Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in Peoria, Ariz. (AP Photo\/Charlie Riedel)<\/p>\n