White Sox's 'dark horse' to make Opening Day roster is former Mariners top prospect bust

The Chicago White Sox aren't one of the top contenders in Major League Baseball, but there is still tough competition for Opening Day roster spots.

Austin Hays, Brooks Baldwin, and Andrew Benintendi are slated to start in the outfield. Luisangel Acuna and Everson Pereira as depth options. But one of those depth spots could be up for grabs.

And Scott Merkin of MLB.com named a former Seattle Mariners top prospect bust as a possible "dark horse" to win that final bench spot this spring, in struggling slugger Jared Kelenic.

Jared Kelenic named 'dark horse' to make White Sox Opening Day roster

"They believe their squad is the right fit, with Kelenic working with Ryan Fulle,r the team's director of hitting, during much of the offseason," Merkin writes. "He's in a battle to make the active roster but could be a significant contributor if he does."

While Kelenic might not be the most appealing option for the White Sox, after his struggles the last few seasons, his potential as a top prospect and sixth-overall pick is enough to take a chance on him.

The 26-year-old lefty slugger has played in 407 games in the Major Leagues, the bulk of which have come with the Mariners. He also played in 155 games with the Atlanta Braves in the last two seasons.

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Overall in his MLB career, Kelenic has put up 0.2 bWAR, with a .211 career batting average and a .658 OPS. Last season with the Braves, he hit .167 with a .531 OPS.

He does have a bit of power, but his contact ability isn't great, and combined with some very high strikeout numbers, it's not a surprise Kelenic has struggled in the Majors.

However, if Kelenic has a good Spring Training, he could make a serious push for a bench spot in the Major Leagues as a platoon batter. He's significantly better against righties (.695 OPS) compared to against lefties (.547 OPS).

He could be an interesting depth option for the White Sox in 2026 as he looks to rebound in his MLB career after a rough first few seasons with the Mariners and Braves.

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