Former Mets first-round pick comes back to haunt them in a Braves uniform

There's never any love lost whenever the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets face off on the diamond. It's one of the best rivalries in MLB when the NL East foes clash, even if the Bravos have held a distinct and stark advantage over the past few seasons. And now Atlanta has a weapon to really help twist the knife in the heart of the Mets.

And Jarred Kelenic, the aforementioned weapon, did just that on Sunday night in the sries finale against New York.

Facing off against Mets newcomer Luis Severino in the second inning, Kelenic got two breaking balls to start his at-bat with a 1-1 count. That's when the New York hurler left a fastball middle-in on the lefty and Kelenic didn't miss as he deposited the baseball 368 feet over the right field fence to give the Braves an early 1-0 lead and putting New York in real danger of being swept.

Why does that homer hurt the Mets a bit more than any other from the Braves? Well, Kelenic, in an alternate universe, could've still been on the New York roster.

Jarred Kelenic returns to haunt Mets now as member of the Braves

Kelenic, who was considered among the top prospects in all of baseball for years but has struggled to fully catch on in the majors, was originally drafted by the Mets. He was the sixth overall pick in the 2018 draft, but was traded in December of that year to the Seattle Mariners as part of the Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz trade for New York.

Obviously, the Mets used Kelenic more as an asset in a trade that, for the most part, worked out well for them, especially considering the superstar closer that Diaz has become (or remained, depending on your view). Having said that, it'd be impossible for a fan in Queens to not feel the keen sting of a Kelenic home run against the Mets... much less while wearing a Braves uniform.

Atlanta, of course, acquired Kelenic this offseason from the Mariners in a trade of their own in order to platoon him against right-handed pitchers in left field with Adam Duvall, though there was hope early that he wouldn't need to be platooned at all.

Regardless, Kelenic seemed acutely aware that the Mets used him as a trade chip rather than part of their future when he unleashed his first swing. And it'll just be another layer among many more in this vaunted rivalry.