Mason Melotakis Stats & Scouting Report

IP	345
ERA	3.652
WHIP	1.414
BB/9	3.548
SO/9	8.4

Full name Mason Emmanual Melotakis
Born 06/28/1991 in Bloomington, IN
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: L
School Northwestern State
Drafted in the 2nd round (63rd overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2012 (signed for $750,000).

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A Grapevine, Texas, product, Melotakis slipped out of Texas to play at Northwestern State in Louisiana. He touched 90 mph at times in high school but has filled out physically and become a true power relief arm in his college career. He emerged as a prospect with 10 strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings against Louisiana State as a sophomore and threw plenty of strikes in the Cape Cod League last summer, posting a 22-2 strikeout-walk ratio in 19 innings. The Blue Demons have used him as a starter at times, including a heavily scouted outing May 4 against Central Arkansas. His high-effort delivery wore him out after four innings and he got only one out in the fifth, but he sat at 94-96 mph with his fastball for three innings, typical of his velocity at his best. Melotakis's slider remains inconsistent but flashes above-average. His short arm action is another factor in making the bullpen his likely big league destination. Melotakis has the mentality for it, going after hitters with his power stuff, and should go out in the first three rounds.

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Organization Prospect Rankings

After missing the entire 2015 season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, Melotakis returned to action in 2016 by throwing 33.1 innings at Double-A Chattanooga. Drafted in the second round in 2012 and signing for $750,000, the lefthander began his career as a starter at low Class A Cedar Rapids but transitioned to a full-time relief role in 2014 before surgery. His pre-Tommy John mid-90s velocity remains intact, and he routinely touches 95 mph and reaches back at times for a tick or two higher. He throws with a short arm action and deceptive delivery, allowing his fastball to play up, especially against lefties. His main strikeout pitch is a hard low- to mid-80s curveball. Added to the 40-man roster after the 2015 season, Melotakis still has some rust to shake off--namely regaining his command--but he could force himself into the big league mix late in 2017. His power stuff from the left side could make him a bullpen weapon.
Despite missing the entire 2015 season following Tommy John surgery the previous October, Melotakis still has plenty of upside, as shown by his offseason addition to the 40-man roster. Signed for $750,000 as part of a college-reliever push in the Twins' 2012 draft, Melotakis has made about a quarter of his pro appearances in a starting role. Pre-surgery, his fastball touched 97 mph and sat at 94-95 mph out of the bullpen. A short arm action and deceptive delivery out of a high three-quarters arm slot enable his fastball to get on hitters even faster. He gives lefties fits with an over-the-top curveball at 82-87 mph and was back to normal at instructional league. He made progress with the changeup while spending the bulk of the 2013 season in the low Class A Cedar Rapids rotation, but he won't need it if he settles into a relief role as expected. Once he scrapes off some rust, he figures to join Double-A Chattanooga.
Signed for $750,000 as part of the Twins' college reliever-heavy 2012 draft, Melotakis has bounced between starting and relieving as a pro. Whether the continual role changes were a factor or not, persistent elbow soreness caused him to miss a planned trip to the Arizona Fall League in 2014, and he had Tommy John surgery by mid-October. Melotakis missed three weeks in August at Double-A New Britain with the same issue. Making just two starts in 2014, he got into a groove as a nasty reliever who reminded some in the organization of Randy Myers. Melotakis was especially tough on lefthanders, holding them to a .200 average (15-for-75). After sitting in the low 90s as a starter, he saw his fastball jump up to 94-95 mph with an occasional 97. His fastball plays up even more due to his short arm action and deceptive delivery out of a high three-quarters arm slot. His late-breaking, over-the-top curveball shows good bite at 82-87 mph and can be a dominant weapon against same-side batters. His changeup was making progress but won't be as important if he remains in the bullpen. A good athlete with a sturdy build, Melotakis could improve as a fielder and in holding runners, but he's willing to put in the extra work to get there. Even with a smooth rehab schedule, he figures to remain sidelined until mid-August 2015.
Like Twins reliever Ryan Pressly, Melotakis spent a good portion of his youth taking pitching lessons from former big league pitcher (and current Rangers TV voice) Steve Busby. In his first full pro season, Melotakis made a successful transition to the rotation at low Class A Cedar Rapids after making just nine college starts in the previous four seasons. As a starter his fastball sits at 88-92 mph and touches 94. His spinning slider comes in at 81-84 mph and can be a put-away pitch for him, though his strikeout rate dropped considerably (to 6.8 strikeouts per nine innings) with the move out of the bullpen. At the same time, his walk rate spiked, narrowing his SO/BB ratio from more than 6.0 in 2012 to barely 2.0. Melotakis' changeup has improved enough that he handles righthanded hitters just fine. He throws from a high three-quarters arm slot, and the ball gets on hitters in a hurry. His short arm action and unconventional delivery has prompted some scouts to project him as a bullpen piece, where his fastball has jumped up to 97 mph. Melotakis' stuff plays up due to the funk in his delivery, and he's difficult for hitters to handle upon first look. For now the Twins will keep him in the rotation as he heads to high Class A Fort Myers in 2014.
Melotakis is trying to join the likes of Lee Smith and Brian Lawrence as big league alumni from Northwestern State. Melotakis made just nine starts in college and had more success as a reliever, notching 12 saves in two seasons and dominating at times, such as a 10-strikeout effort in 4 1/3 innings against Louisiana State as a sophomore. He shined after signing for $750,000 in the second round last June, averaging 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings in his debut. Melotakis has impressive stuff for a lefthander, beginning with a fastball that sits at 94-96 mph and touches 97. He gets tremendous spin on his 81-84 mph slider, which has power and depth. He doesn't always command it, however, and he has to have a catcher who can block balls in the dirt, because his slider ends up there a lot. Melotakis has an unconventional short arm stroke that makes most scouts consider him a reliever, and he struggled to maintain his stuff when he started as an amateur. He has the physicality to work out of a rotation and wants to give it a try as a pro. The Twins have put out a casting call for starters among the system's pitchers and intend to take him up on his offer, with relieving a strong fallback position. He'll return to low Class A to begin 2013.

Draft Prospects

A Grapevine, Texas, product, Melotakis slipped out of Texas to play at Northwestern State in Louisiana. He touched 90 mph at times in high school but has filled out physically and become a true power relief arm in his college career. He emerged as a prospect with 10 strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings against Louisiana State as a sophomore and threw plenty of strikes in the Cape Cod League last summer, posting a 22-2 strikeout-walk ratio in 19 innings. The Blue Demons have used him as a starter at times, including a heavily scouted outing May 4 against Central Arkansas. His high-effort delivery wore him out after four innings and he got only one out in the fifth, but he sat at 94-96 mph with his fastball for three innings, typical of his velocity at his best. Melotakis's slider remains inconsistent but flashes above-average. His short arm action is another factor in making the bullpen his likely big league destination. Melotakis has the mentality for it, going after hitters with his power stuff, and should go out in the first three rounds.