MJ Melendez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #3 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Melendez was one of several hitters at High-A Wilmington in 2019 to have a very difficult season at the plate. The improvement of the hitters from that season to 2021 was remarkable and a testament to the Royals’ improved hitting development program. Melendez made perhaps the most drastic turnaround of all, culminating in him leading the minor leagues with 41 home runs and finishing fifth with a 1.011 OPS as he climbed from Double-A to Triple-A. Even more significant was how he cut his strikeout rate from nearly 40% in 2019 to 21.7% in 2021.
  
  Scouting Report: Melendez went to work on his swing and approach right after the 2019 season, resulting in a shorter swing, a toned-down leg kick, a better stance and a more relaxed approach. As a result, he is now able to pick up spin earlier, which leads to fewer chase swings out of the strike zone. Moving away from being a dead- pull hitter allowed Melendez to open up the opposite side of the field. He took well to the challenge of Triple-A, getting on base at a higher rate than in Double-A while maintaining his over-the-fence power. Melendez still has work to do with his receiving and blocking behind the plate, but he’s athletic and flexible enough to keep improving. Blessed with a plus-plus arm, he continues to throw out runners at a high rate. In 2021, he threw out potential base stealers at a 31% rate.
  
  The Future: Melendez will benefit from a full season at Triple-A, especially with Salvador Perez firmly entrenched at catcher in Kansas City. He played a few games at third base after his promotion to Omaha and will continue to get experience at other positions.
  
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #16 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: Drafted in the second round in 2017 and paid a well over-slot bonus of just over $2 million, Melendez had a disastrous 2019, hitting .163/.260/.311 at high Class A Wilmington. He spent the summer at the Royals' alternate training site followed by the instructional league program held at Kauffman Stadium in order to get as many at-bats as possible.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Melendez has worked on applying mechanical changes to his swing. He cut down on his leg kick, quieted the noise in his swing and worked hard to reduce the amount of pitches he chases out of the zone. Melendez also continued refining his alignment in the batter's box and understanding what pitches he could drive. Even if everything clicks, Melendez projects as no more than a below-average hitter, but his physicality may give him enough power to hit enough for a catcher. Melendez's best tool defensively is a cannon of an arm with a quick release. He's athletic behind the plate and receives and blocks well.
  
  THE FUTURE: Melendez profiles as a low-average, moderate-power type of hitter with catching skills that will play in the majors. A Double-A assignment awaits in 2021.
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #12 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: While many of the young hitters at Wilmington had difficulties adjusting to Carolina League pitching, none had as tough a time as Melendez. His .163 batting average and 24.2-percent swinging-strike rate were worst among all minor league hitters with at least 350 plate appearances.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Melendez's problems stem from not having a real plan at the plate, using an all-ornothing swing and having trouble hitting good velocity. He has good hands and makes hard contact with a level swing, but he needs to change his approach to use more of the field instead of pulling everything. Melendez's catch-and-throw skills keep him on the radar. He's athletic and moves well behind the plate, although there is still improvement to be made in framing and blocking. A plus arm is his best tool, as seen in 2019 when he threw out 60 percent of basestealers, tops in the Carolina League by a wide margin.
  
  THE FUTURE: Melendez will return to Wilmington in 2020 looking to restore his prospect stock. Some scouts now project a backup catcher's ceiling but he's still young enough to change their minds.
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #6 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: The son of Florida International head coach Mervyl Melendez, M.J. showed good aptitude at the plate and advanced skills behind it. Melendez shared catching duties at low Class A Lexington with Sebastian Rivero for the South Atlantic League champs. Both Melendez and Rivero earned spots in the SAL all-star game. Melendez's 19 home runs were fifth-most in the South Atlantic League and he finished second in the league with 54 extra-base hits. Amazingly for a catcher, he also finished third in the league with nine triples.
  
  Scouting Report: Melendez makes hard contact at the plate with a level swing and good hand-eye coordination that gives him power to all fields. Plus, he shows the aptitude to adjust during at-bats. Despite hitting .251, Melendez projects as an average hitter. He sells out for power at times, as evidenced by his 30 percent strikeout rate in 2018, but he gets to his plus power. Melendez is an average runner who runs much better than the average catcher. Behind the plate, he needs to continue working on the mechanics of his setup and receiving, but he works well with pitchers. He is bilingual and calls a good game. His plus arm helped him tie for the Sally league lead by throwing out 42 percent of basestealers.
  
  The Future: Young catchers don't typically hit like Melendez did in 2018. He projects as a first-division regular with a power bat behind the plate. He'll move on to high Class A Wilmington in 2019 where his power will likely be sapped by his home park. He needs to continue to improve his contact rate, but he has a ceiling few minor league catchers can match.
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #6 prospect in 2018
  Melendez comes from a baseball family, with his father currently the head coach at Florida International. The Royals took him in the second round, knowing that it would take an over-slot bonus to lure him away from the chance of playing college ball for his dad. After signing for $2,097,500, Melendez began his pro career in the Rookie-level Arizona League where he ranked as the 13th best prospect. Melendez brings a lot of tools and athleticism to the field, an advanced player for his age. At the plate, Melendez gets good carry off the bat with power to all fields, albeit with some swing and miss. He tends to get rotational in the batter's box with a deep barrel dip and gets his weight out in front, so improvements to his swing will help. He's an average or better runner now, which is good speed for a catcher. Melendez' calling card is his defense behind the plate. He's athletic with quick feet, good lateral mobility and good hands. Melendez is a smart game-caller and being bilingual gives him an edge in working with his pitchers. He's got at least a plus arm with sub-2.0 pop times, although some scouts put a plus-plus grade on his arm strength. He gets rid of the ball quickly and can throw from his knees, and while his arm stroke is a little long he makes up for it with arm strength and explosiveness from the crouch. Melendez projects as a first-division regular catcher at the big league level. He may be advanced enough to tag along with draftmate Pratto, heading to low Class A Lexington to start the 2018 season.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #52 prospect in 2017 draft
  Melendez moved from Alabama and enrolled at Westminster Christian after his father, Mervyl Melendez, was hired to be the head coach at Florida International prior to M.J.'s senior year. M.J. established himself as one of the top catching prospects in the class with a strong showing on the showcase circuit, and he made impressive strength gains as a senior. Melendez is a lithe, athletic receiver with quick feet and excellent lateral mobility. He sets a low target. He has plus arm strength behind the plate and can throw accurately with carry from his knees. Melendez is a lefthanded hitter whose power is ahead of his pure hitting ability at this point. He has a bit of a high hand set with some length to his swing. Melendez uses a leg kick to get his lower half started and has quick hands; when he connects with a pitch he's able to drive the ball with authority, and he projects to hit for some power at the pro level. He ditches his leg kick in two-strike counts and focuses more on making contact. The Florida International commit is a heady player with excellent recall, giving him an advantage when he's seeing a pitcher for the second time. He's a smart game-caller, has years of experience catching hard throwers on the showcase circuit and is bilingual, so he could adapt to catching at the professional level faster than most prep catchers.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Texas League #5 prospect in 2021
  Two seasons ago, Melendez had a .163 batting average at High-A Wilmington while piling up 165 strikeouts. Armed with a shorter swing, a toned down leg kick, a better stance and a much-improved approach, Melendez completed one of the most dramatic transformations seen in years. He went from being one of the worst hitters in the minors to one of the best. His 28 home runs were second most in Double-A Central despite being promoted to Triple-A on Aug. 11. “He’s understanding more what pitchers are doing and not missing his pitch,” Northwest Arkansas manager Scott Thorman said. Melendez still projects as a fringe-average hitter in the majors, but his improvements make it likely he’ll get to the 25-30 home run power that once seemed out of reach. Melendez has work to do defensively, but he has a plus-plus arm and the athleticism to develop into a solid receiver.
• 
  Ranked South Atlantic League #6 prospect in 2018
  Melendez is not your typical catcher. The 19-year-old not only finished in the top five in the SAL in home runs (19), slugging percentage (.492), extra-base hits (54) and total bases (203), but he also ranked third with nine triples. He also tied for the league lead by throwing out 42 percent of basestealers. Melendez is more athletic than most catchers. He has some mechanical work to do with his framing, but he blocks balls well and moves nimbly behind the plate. As a hitter, Melendez can get power hungry at times and his swing gets a little big. But unlike many young lefthanded hitters, he stays in well against fellow lefties and there are few fastballs he can't hit thanks to a level swing and excellent bat speed. He presently strikes out too much because of his aggressive approach, but he has the hand-eye coordination to improve.
• 
  Ranked Arizona Complex League #13 prospect in 2017
  The Royals took Melendez in the second round knowing they'd need to lure him away from a commitment to Florida International, where his father is head coach. It took an over-slot bonus of $2,097,500 to get him on board, and early returns from his AZL debut indicate that it will be money well spent. The lefthand-hitting Melendez showed solid power and got good carry off the bat and power to all fields, albeit with some swing and miss. He tends to get rotational in the batter's box, so improvements to his swing will help as he progresses. He's an average or better runner, good speed for a catcher. As impressive as Melendez is offensively, it's his defense that will carry him. He's agile and has good hands, and improved his receiving and blocking during the year. A plus-plus arm is Melendez's biggest strength. He gets rid of the ball quickly and has the ability to throw from his knees.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #42 prospect in 2022

• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Melendez was one of several hitters at High-A Wilmington in 2019 to have a very difficult season at the plate. The improvement of the hitters from that season to 2021 was remarkable and a testament to the Royals’ improved hitting development program. Melendez made perhaps the most drastic turnaround of all, culminating in him leading the minor leagues with 41 home runs and finishing fifth with a 1.011 OPS as he climbed from Double-A to Triple-A. Even more significant was how he cut his strikeout rate from nearly 40% in 2019 to 21.7% in 2021.
  
  Scouting Report: Melendez went to work on his swing and approach right after the 2019 season, resulting in a shorter swing, a toned-down leg kick, a better stance and a more relaxed approach. As a result, he is now able to pick up spin earlier, which leads to fewer chase swings out of the strike zone. Moving away from being a dead- pull hitter allowed Melendez to open up the opposite side of the field. He took well to the challenge of Triple-A, getting on base at a higher rate than in Double-A while maintaining his over-the-fence power. Melendez still has work to do with his receiving and blocking behind the plate, but he’s athletic and flexible enough to keep improving. Blessed with a plus-plus arm, he continues to throw out runners at a high rate. In 2021, he threw out potential base stealers at a 31% rate.
  
  The Future: Melendez will benefit from a full season at Triple-A, especially with Salvador Perez firmly entrenched at catcher in Kansas City. He played a few games at third base after his promotion to Omaha and will continue to get experience at other positions.
  
• October, 2021 Scouting Report
  Two seasons ago, Melendez had a .163 batting average at High-A Wilmington while piling up 165 strikeouts. Armed with a shorter swing, a toned down leg kick, a better stance and a much-improved approach, Melendez completed one of the most dramatic transformations seen in years. He went from being one of the worst hitters in the minors to one of the best. His 28 home runs were second most in Double-A Central despite being promoted to Triple-A on Aug. 11. “He’s understanding more what pitchers are doing and not missing his pitch,” Northwest Arkansas manager Scott Thorman said. Melendez still projects as a fringe-average hitter in the majors, but his improvements make it likely he’ll get to the 25-30 home run power that once seemed out of reach. Melendez has work to do defensively, but he has a plus-plus arm and the athleticism to develop into a solid receiver.
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Drafted in the second round in 2017 and paid a well over-slot bonus of just over $2 million, Melendez had a disastrous 2019, hitting .163/.260/.311 at high Class A Wilmington. He spent the summer at the Royals' alternate training site followed by the instructional league program held at Kauffman Stadium in order to get as many at-bats as possible.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Melendez has worked on applying mechanical changes to his swing. He cut down on his leg kick, quieted the noise in his swing and worked hard to reduce the amount of pitches he chases out of the zone. Melendez also continued refining his alignment in the batter's box and understanding what pitches he could drive. Even if everything clicks, Melendez projects as no more than a below-average hitter, but his physicality may give him enough power to hit enough for a catcher. Melendez's best tool defensively is a cannon of an arm with a quick release. He's athletic behind the plate and receives and blocks well.
  
  THE FUTURE: Melendez profiles as a low-average, moderate-power type of hitter with catching skills that will play in the majors. A Double-A assignment awaits in 2021.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Drafted in the second round in 2017 and paid a well over-slot bonus of just over $2 million, Melendez had a disastrous 2019, hitting .163/.260/.311 at high Class A Wilmington. He spent the summer at the Royals' alternate training site followed by the instructional league program held at Kauffman Stadium in order to get as many at-bats as possible.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Melendez has worked on applying mechanical changes to his swing. He cut down on his leg kick, quieted the noise in his swing and worked hard to reduce the amount of pitches he chases out of the zone. Melendez also continued refining his alignment in the batter's box and understanding what pitches he could drive. Even if everything clicks, Melendez projects as no more than a below-average hitter, but his physicality may give him enough power to hit enough for a catcher. Melendez's best tool defensively is a cannon of an arm with a quick release. He's athletic behind the plate and receives and blocks well.
  
  THE FUTURE: Melendez profiles as a low-average, moderate-power type of hitter with catching skills that will play in the majors. A Double-A assignment awaits in 2021.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Drafted in the second round in 2017 and paid a well over-slot bonus of just over $2 million, Melendez had a disastrous 2019, hitting .163/.260/.311 at high Class A Wilmington. He spent the summer at the Royals' alternate training site followed by the instructional league program held at Kauffman Stadium in order to get as many at-bats as possible.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Melendez has worked on applying mechanical changes to his swing. He cut down on his leg kick, quieted the noise in his swing and worked hard to reduce the amount of pitches he chases out of the zone. Melendez also continued refining his alignment in the batter's box and understanding what pitches he could drive. Even if everything clicks, Melendez projects as no more than a below-average hitter, but his physicality may give him enough power to hit enough for a catcher. Melendez's best tool defensively is a cannon of an arm with a quick release. He's athletic behind the plate and receives and blocks well.
  
  THE FUTURE: Melendez profiles as a low-average, moderate-power type of hitter with catching skills that will play in the majors. A Double-A assignment awaits in 2021.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: While many of the young hitters at Wilmington had difficulties adjusting to Carolina League pitching, none had as tough a time as Melendez. His .163 batting average and 24.2-percent swinging-strike rate were worst among all minor league hitters with at least 350 plate appearances.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Melendez’s problems stem from not having a real plan at the plate, using an all-ornothing swing and having trouble hitting good velocity. He has good hands and makes hard contact with a level swing, but he needs to change his approach to use more of the field instead of pulling everything. Melendez’s catch-and-throw skills keep him on the radar. He’s athletic and moves well behind the plate, BA GRADE 50 Risk: Very High BA GRADE 50 Risk: Very High BA GRADE 50 Risk: Very High although there is still improvement to be made in framing and blocking. A plus arm is his best tool, as seen in 2019 when he threw out 60 percent of basestealers, tops in the Carolina League by a wide margin.
  
  THE FUTURE: Melendez will return to Wilmington in 2020 looking to restore his prospect stock. Some scouts now project a backup catcher’s ceiling but he’s still young enough to change their minds.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: While many of the young hitters at Wilmington had difficulties adjusting to Carolina League pitching, none had as tough a time as Melendez. His .163 batting average and 24.2-percent swinging-strike rate were worst among all minor league hitters with at least 350 plate appearances.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Melendez's problems stem from not having a real plan at the plate, using an all-ornothing swing and having trouble hitting good velocity. He has good hands and makes hard contact with a level swing, but he needs to change his approach to use more of the field instead of pulling everything. Melendez's catch-and-throw skills keep him on the radar. He's athletic and moves well behind the plate, although there is still improvement to be made in framing and blocking. A plus arm is his best tool, as seen in 2019 when he threw out 60 percent of basestealers, tops in the Carolina League by a wide margin.
  
  THE FUTURE: Melendez will return to Wilmington in 2020 looking to restore his prospect stock. Some scouts now project a backup catcher's ceiling but he's still young enough to change their minds.
• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  Like 2017 draft-mate Pratto, Melendez skipped a level moving right into full-season ball to start 2018. He’s shown impressive power at Lexington, with 12 home runs through the end of June. He’s already a solid defender but has been working with Royals catching coordinator J.C. Boscan to further refine his skills behind the plate. Melendez has a good aptitude at the plate and shows the ability to learn during at-bats.