@dodger_poke
When the Dodgers selected Jeren Kendall in the 1st round of the 2017 draft, they knew they were getting a unique player, with 5 tools of talent, who had shown the ability to “handle the moment”.
Prep Career
Kendall was a multi-sport star as a prep, and was the Wisconsin player of the year in 2013, the Gatorade Player of the Year in 2014, and earned 6 letters in both hockey and baseball at Holmen High School in the far western reaches of the state. As a result, the Red Sox drafted him in the 30th Round of the 2014 draft and gave him the opportunity to take his game to the professional level in one of the most iconic and successful organizations in all of sports. Kendall, however, also had several offers to play College Baseball, and eventually decided to turn down the offer from the Red Sox, and, instead, take his talents to Vanderbilt, to be a Vandy Boy, a decision that proved to be a great one.
Vandy Boy
It didn’t take the 5’11” center fielder long to make his mark in College as he earned Freshman All American honors in 2015 and showed that he was more than just talented, he was also clutch. In the College World Series of that year, the 5 tooled Center Fielder had a big RBI single in the finals of the College World Series against Virginia and also delivered the first walk-off home run in TD Ameritrade history against Cal State Fullerton.
Kendall’s efforts, both on and off the field, garnered him very high praise from his legendary Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin
“Jeren emerged as a key component of our 2015 Omaha team as a freshman and has steadily grown as a player. His physical skills are different, uncommon and fun to watch. He can impact a game with his feet, glove, arm and bat. His best baseball is ahead of him for sure. He is mature and very consistent in everything that he does on and off the field. His disposition makes him fun and easy to coach.”
Here’s what Kendall had to say about the experience
Yeah, that was obviously one of the best moments of my baseball career, I mean, just being in that position, and everything we prepare for at Vanderbilt, that’s what it is right there. Just the ability to stay within yourself during those moments and have a little fun always helps. But, you know, just being in the College World Series was an experience in itself and it’s why I’ll always have such a great memory, and I’m glad I came through in that moment for our guys.
Kendall continued his stellar collegiate career in 2016, his Sophomore year, by becoming a 3rd team all-American after hitting .332 with 9 home runs and an OPS of .964. In 2017, his Junior year, the 5 tooled outfielder became draft-eligible again. Draft eligible years carry a large amount of individual pressure for players of Kendall’s caliber because their performance could mean the difference between an offer of millions of dollars or another year of Math classes. Don’t get me wrong, the College baseball experience is incredible, especially at a place like Vanderbilt, but signing for millions of dollars at such a young age is any young player’s dream. Kendall proved to be, once again, up to the challenge, as the “cool-headed” star hit .307 with 15 home runs and an OPS of .928. Those efforts were good enough to get him drafted again, after his Junior year at Vanderbilt, but, this time, with an offer he couldn’t resist. The Western Wisconsin native signed in the 1st round of the 2017 draft and when the ink had dried the Vandy Boy became the next Dodger full of high expectations.
High Expectations
As Kendall entered the Dodgers organization he was tabbed with having a unique combination of speed, elite defense, the ability to hit for both average and power, and, again, the knack to come up clutch. He is also known as a tireless worker and as the type that never stops looking for opportunities to improve. Over the winter of 2019, Kendall decided to stay in LA and work with Craig Wallenbrock and recently hired, at the time, hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc. Wallenbrock is an innovative private hitting instructor who works as a consultant with the Dodgers, and has worked with and gained the approval of guys like Ryan Braun, JD Martinez, and other Major Leaguers. Wallenbrock and Van Scoyoc both believe in creating “lag” with the barrel to keep it in the hitting zone for as long as possible instead of rolling it over, an adjustment many professionals have to make when they become a professional.
Got Hot Then Hurt
In July of 2021, Kendall really started to show promise hitting .333 with an OPS of 1.152. But, just as he was heating up, he broke a bone in his foot and was forced to sit out from July 4th until August 14th. In his first at-bat back, in typical Kendall fashion, he hit a home run on the 2nd pitch he saw. On June 27, just 6 games before he was injured, Kendall blasted a 2-out, bottom of the 9th walk-off Grand slam to give the Drillers a win over the Springfield Cardinals.
Earlier that month, on June 10th, Kendall hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to lead the AA Drillers to a win over Wichita. So, as the headline reads, Jeren Kendall certainly knows how to “handle the moment” and is much more than just 5 tangible tools of talent, he also has the intangible quality of being clutch.
Feature Cut
Kendall is an elite defender that works tirelessly at getting good reads on the ball off the bat to match his elite speed. Baseball on the offensive side is a game of failure and hit streaks come and go for every hitter, but defense is something that each player can make consistent every day they have the great fortune to play this great game. Kendall takes great pride in being such a great defender, and watch how easy he makes this play look on a ball straight at him that is over his head. Most outfielders would have to turn their backs to this ball and start sprinting to get in position to catch this ball. But, because Kendall gets such a great read and he has elite speed, he’s able to keep his eyes on the ball the entire time and make everything look so easy.
Here’s what he had to say about the amount of pride he takes in his defense:
That’s something that has been consistent over my whole career. My speed help a lot and I try and make sure that my defense stays at 150%. I do a lot of work during BP to get my reads and stuff in, but, yeah, outfield and using my speed on the bases is something that stays consistent everyday.
Kendall is working to continue to put his offensive game together and feels good about finally being healthy and is excited to see what the rest of this year brings.
Yeah, I mean, my game definitely needs a little tune up, and I think it’s a work in progress. I’m getting back to what I like to do and the main thing is just being confident, you know, baseball’s tough and you just have to stay confident and come out everyday, just day by day, and know that it’s gonna work out.
Kendall has power, he has shown he can hit for average, and he can “disrupt” games as well as anyone in the game when he’s getting on base.
Kendall has opposite-field power, he has extremely quick hands to turn on the inside part of the plate, and he has the speed to beat out infield base hits as well. There is just no reason for him not to be a great offensive player.
And, again, he is very clutch. You’ve already seen his walk-off at TD Ameritrade, now here are his two walk-offs from last year, one being on his first at-bat back off the IL.
Finishing Up
It’s no secret that the Dodgers are loaded with depth in the outfield position, but, none are more talented than Kendall. Yes, you read that correctly, and I fully understand how huge of a statement that is to make but let me make it even huger, if that’s a word, and add to it that I was including the outfielders on the LA roster as well. Kendall’s path to becoming a High-Level Major Leaguer has little to do with who is around him, and, almost exclusively, has to do with whether he can reach his potential on the offensive side of the ball. I know what this young man is capable of, and I know what he can do, and I have no doubt everyone else will as well before he decides to hang up his cleats for the final time.
