Jarred Kelenic realised last summer that he wanted to set the example rather than just follow it after breaking his foot when he kicked a water cooler out of frustration.

All the kids back in Wisconsin who witnessed something like that crossed my mind. That’s not what I want them to see. That’s not what I want them to be.

I was determined not to overlook that incident and to ensure it never occurred again.

Kelenic, who was traded from the Seattle Mariners to the Atlanta Braves last weekend in a surprising trade to open the MLB Winter Meetings, talked to the media via Zoom on Wednesday. He acknowledged during the call that he had not anticipated being traded but expressed excitement at the unexpected chance to join one of MLB’s top teams.

That roster includes some of the best players in the game, for sure. And that’s something I’m eagerly anticipating. I believe it will enable me to just settle into the role and focus on what makes me unique and the greatest version of myself.

In Seattle, where he batted 308/.365/.615 with seven home runs in the first 26 games of the season, Kelenic was playing at his best.

He credits his mechanics’ steadiness and confidence for the brief success.

I think everything was just kind of synced up really well. I had a lot of moving parts, I would say. My natural leg kick was more powerful, and I could kind of use my hand/palm combination. And I just think that I was being really consistent with my movements.

My body was feeling really good. I was fresh from the offseason. It was early. I believe that everything was in harmony at that point, and my perception of the ball was excellent.

However, as the season went on, Kelenic lost those mechanics; as exhaustion set in, everything started to fall apart. My hand pump became rather enlarged. My hands were lowering themselves slightly. Unconsciously, my leg kick was becoming a little bit higher. I saw that my body wasn’t moving as consistently, and I believe that you won’t experience consistent improvements if your body doesn’t move consistently.

This offseason, one of his main objectives is to correct the mechanics drift. Something that I want to focus on is making sure that I’m a little bit more short and compact, so I’m able to be a little bit more consistent so that I can hopefully have those first two months of the season (results) the entire year.

You can be confident that Kelenic believes the problem is fixable and that, with luck, he can continue to play at the same level throughout the entire schedule.

I still believe in the ability that I have. I know what I’m capable of doing. I think I’m capable of doing that throughout a season.

However, Jarred acknowledges that the summertime event in which he injured his foot while kicking a cooler in the dugout following a strikeout made him realise that a mental shift was necessary.

After something similar occurred, one thing I recently realised was that I was the cause of it. It was all on me. It was my decision to take that action.

Because I broke my foot, I wasn’t able to go out and play every single day. I also took it personally that I would not be able to perform for the fans who had paid to see me because of something foolish I had done.

However, Kelenic acknowledged in a very moving moment of reflection that the experience was ultimately beneficial because it made him rethink his strategy for playing baseball.

It forced me to step back and acknowledge my blessings and gratitude for being in my current situation. I get to go out now because I have wanted to play in the major leagues since I was a little child. It also helped me to appreciate the game a little bit more because it simply cannot happen that I break my foot out of frustration while playing in the major leagues.”

The trade also allows Kelenic to relax a bit and get back to just enjoying the game of baseball again. In a lineup with such heavyweights as Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, and Austin Riley, he won’t need to carry the offensive burden on a daily basis.

Indeed, I believe that the most thrilling aspect for me is not only having those men as teammates but also being able to observe them in action on a daily basis and truly understand the nuances of their approach, which is obviously effective.

That roster includes some of the best players in the game, for sure. And that’s something I’m eagerly anticipating. Additionally, I believe it will enable me to just settle into the role and focus on what makes me unique and the greatest version of myself.

I chatted over the phone with a few of the Braves front office staff members, and they were very complimentary of me. That made me very delighted to hear it. Ultimately, I understand that all I can do is go out and take care of business and work; that’s all I can manage. However, it was comforting to learn that I have the backing of a group for whom I haven’t even played.

And it just makes me incredibly eager to start working, travel to Florida, and begin my spring training.

Maybe that link will develop rapidly because Chipper Jones, the Braves hitting consultant, and Kelenic are both avid outdoor enthusiasts. He told us he was an avid hunter.

One of the greatest to ever do it is unquestionably Chipper. In addition, given his degree of education, I’m interested in hearing his thoughts and picking his brain in this regard.