No. 1 overall? Waukesha's Jarred Kelenic gears up for MLB draft, where he could become highest-ever Wisconsin high school pick

JR Radcliffe | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Before Jarred Kelenic graduated early from Waukesha West High School, he’d sometimes find himself gone five days a week, traveling around the country to hone his craft and play for talent evaluators.

In the first spring where he’s no longer taking classes, he’s found himself close to home – and stuck in a cold and dreary spring.

“As a hitter, it’s been really hard,” said Kelenic, who almost certainly will hear his name called in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft Monday. “We’ll be outside for one day, and then we won’t get back outside for two weeks. It’s been hard getting into a rhythm, but with these great facilities we have in Waukesha (at NX Level Sports Performance), Stiks Academy, Hitters at Racine, we have the opportunity to hit 365 days a year no matter the weather. It’s different hitting inside, but it’s better than not being able to do anything.”

Kelenic, who will turn 19 in July, graduated early from West so he could focus on training in the final weeks before a draft in which he could become the highest-selected Wisconsin high schooler in history. Kevin Brandt of Nekoosa was taken 11th overall in 1979 by the Minnesota Twins, 20 years before Kelenic was born.

“I simply just say that ever since I was really young, I’ve had the highest expectations possible,” Kelenic said. “When people tell me, ‘You have the chance to be No. 1, a first-round pick, top 10’ … I expect that out of myself. That’s who I am. But at the same time, it never really hit the public eye until the past two years.”

The NX Level Up

Mock drafts place Kelenic anywhere from No. 2 to No. 15, with some websites suggesting he could be an option for the Detroit Tigers at No. 1 overall if the franchise elects to pursue a player with an ease of “signability.”

The left-handed batting outfielder, with two Team USA gold medals in his trophy case, has been praised as a five-tool talent, but perhaps the greatest tool in his arsenal is NX Level, and his own family has a lot to do with it.

His father, Tom, co-owns and helped drive the construction of the Infinity Fields complex (also known as “Five Diamonds”) on Les Paul Parkway in the town of Waukesha. Part of that complex is the NX Level building that opened in 2015, a facility with 80 yards of indoor artificial turf, a basketball court, batting cages and a bevy of training options. Tom also owns the new building down the road into which Stiks Academy and Sports Training recently relocated.

“My dad is somebody that’s willing to give not only his kids, but kids around this community, the best opportunity possible,” Kelenic said. “Him building (all this) speaks alone for what type of guy he is.

"On a personal note, it’s helped me dramatically because I’ve gotten to come in here and work out, go to Stiks to hit, go to Five Diamonds to hit. I have all the resources to make sure my game is fine-tuned.”

NX Level famously counts Houston Texans star and Pewaukee native J.J. Watt among its clients. Brad Arnett, owner and NX Level director of sports performance, has helped train a who’s who of top athletes in southeastern Wisconsin, including Watt brothers Derek and T.J., also NFL players.

“I haven’t really had a full conversation with J.J. before,” Jarred said. “I’ve worked out alongside him before, and just to see somebody who’s the best defensive player in the league work that hard … he’s made it, and it motivates kids like me to want to get to that spot, even though it’s a different sport. Even though he’s there, he still works that hard and (you see) how hard you need to work that hard to get there.”

Kelenic also has trained alongside players such as Gavin Lux, who was taken with the 20th pick in the 2016 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of Kenosha Indian Trail High School. Lux was the first Wisconsin player taken in the first round since Brandt in 1979.

“I text Gavin now and then, (Twins 2016 second-round pick) Ben Rortvedt, too,” Kelenic said. “I keep in contact with a lot of guys I play with on Team USA. I have a lot of great resources and a lot of great people.”

Glittering gold

Those Team USA experiences have featured a gold medal win at the Baseball World Cup in 2017 at Target Field in Minneapolis. In the 2016 Pan American Games in Mexico, his U18 team not only won gold, but Kelenic was named team MVP at the showcase.

ARCHIVE: After gold-medal performance, Waukesha's Kelenic continues rapid rise

From there, he’s been a regular at some of the biggest amateur baseball events on the circuit: the Area Code Games, the Under Armour All-America Game, the Perfect Game All-American Game, the USA Baseball Tournament of Stars.

“At times it was a challenge, but I had great help from the administrators at West,” Kelenic said of keeping up with his school schedule. “Especially missing a month of school with Team USA that first year. Any kid who misses a month, you’re digging yourself a pretty big hole … they were very helpful through the whole process.

“All of it has been pretty surreal. I got to play with a lot of unbelievably talented kids and in unbelievable stadiums like Target Field. At the same time, the biggest thing no matter where we were playing, whether it was Canada at an average field or in Minnesota at their major-league stadium, you try to take it one game at a time. The bases are the same, the fences are the same, all the rules are the same.”

While that’s true, this is still heady territory for any Wisconsin high school baseball player. He’s had representatives from all 30 major-league teams inside his house, and he recently went through the process of selecting an advisor (a precursor to an agent). Now, it’s projection season as he awaits word on where he’ll land.

“That’s one reason why I’m off Twitter right now,” he said, referring to his decision to stop tweeting at the end of 2017. “Just to stay away from it, because mock drafts, you can only take them for what they’re worth. … To this day, nobody knows who’s going 1, going 2, going 3. Nobody is going to know until the day. I try not to look at it too much.

"It’s really cool to see my name up there … especially when you’re a high school kid among some college kids. But I try just to go out and play my game and not worry about that stuff.”

He was invited to attend the first round of the draft in New York, but he’s electing to stay home.

“I want to spend the day with the people that got me here throughout this process,” he said. “There are times they may feel I haven’t been able to express it as much as I should that I thank them for it. I owe it to them to be here and to really spend the day with them.

“Wherever I end up getting taken, the biggest impact for me is on the kids around here,” he said. “They may not have as much hope (of getting drafted so high) as kids down in the south do with the weather (here). They’ll look at my story and realize if you really want it, you can work for it and achieve what you want."

First-round talent

Wisconsin high-school draft prospects taken in the first round:

1979: Kevin Brandt, Nekoosa (11th to Twins)

1970: Gary Polczynski, West Allis Hale (15th to Reds)

2016: Gavin Lux, Kenosha, Kenosha Indian Trail (20th to Dodgers)

*Bill Burbach of Dickeyville was selected 19th overall in 1965 by the Yankees. He attended high school just across the border in Iowa.

*Augie Schmidt of Kenosha Bradford was selected second overall in 1982 by the Blue Jays after attending the University of New Orleans.

*Tom Fischer of Kettle Moraine Lutheran (and the University of Wisconsin) was selected 12th in 1988 by the Red Sox.

*Dave Globig of West Allis Hale was selected third overall in 1976 in the January draft by the Brewers after attending the University of Minnesota. January drafts were held each year for players who were drafted but did not sign after the June draft. January drafts continued until 1986.