Kelenic Comes In From The Cold

Jarred Kelenic wants to honor his late grandfather with competitiveness, ability and plus tools.

- Michael Lananna

There’s a hint of purple in Jarred Kelenic’s white batting gloves.

Playing at Blair Field in early August, being in Long Beach for the third straight year, seeing the palm trees, feeling the warmth of the Southern California rays—Kelenic can’t help but think of him. The Area Code Games was Bob Leibhan’s favorite event to watch his grandson play in, a sunny excursion away from North Dakota. Purple was his favorite color.

Leibhan died last May while watching his beloved Minnesota Twins on TV. Suddenly. Unexpectedly. His death was believed to have been caused by an aneurysm.

Kelenic, a rising high school senior from Waukesha, Wis., still carries his grandfather with him—and not just in the form of his purple-and-white batting gloves. It’s in his countenance, the way he approaches the game of baseball and life. Kelenic is one of the top prep hitters in the 2018 class, a physical, toned 6-foot-1, 195-pound outfield prospect with five-tool potential. But talk to coaches, evaluators, teammates or anyone around Kelenic and they’ll talk about his edge, his world-beating competitiveness, his insatiable hunger.

“I don’t like to lose,” he said, flatly, following a win for his White Sox team at Area Codes. “If I’m playing you in checkers or chess, I’m going to beat you. Bad. I’m going to bury you. That’s something to take pride in. Just this last game, we’re up by one. Do we really need one more run in the last inning? Well, I’m gonna score because I want to bury you.”

Kelenic’s grandfather was the same way. A former fast-pitch softball player and an umpire for many years, Leibhan instilled in young Jarred a love for baseball—and, more importantly, a love for competing.