Manuel Melendez Aims To Stay Within Himself

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—After excelling in 2016, outfielder Manuel Melendez seeks to make subtle changes to his hitting mentality.

Melendez, 20, is expected to begin this season at low Class A Asheville after hitting .294/.337/.434 last year at Rookie level Grand Junction batting leadoff. That included 20 extra-base hits in 66 games, including seven home runs for the Venezuela native.

“There’s minimal movement when he gets ready to hit,” said Rockies first base coach Tony Diaz, who was Grand Junction’s development supervisor the previous four years. “This guy’s got a real quiet approach.”

Melendez, who signed as a 16-year-old in 2014, bats and throws lefthanded and is listed at 5-foot-11, 165 pounds. Despite that size, Diaz noted “When he’s out front and hits the ball, this guy hits rockets. And if gets stronger, who knows, there’s some thunder.”

“Harnessing some of that power “and learning when to kind of let loose and learning when he needs to get on base so other things can happen are certainly going to be a part of his process moving forward,” farm director Zach Wilson said.

Melendez is a plus runner with an aboveaverage arm and above-average accuracy. He mostly played right field last year but can play center.

His seven homers tied for the team lead. Melendez also had 33 RBIs, 53 runs scored, 24 steals in 30 attempts and 42 strikeouts but only 11 walks in 289 plate appearances.

“He can get in these streaks where he’s trying to do too much instead of just trying to be who he naturally is and just let his talent take over,” Wilson said. “It’s more about recognizing that who he is is enough and recognizing with consistency what a leadoff hitter is there to do. And that is to get on base, swipe a bag and get in position for somebody else to allow you to score a run. He knows that. It’s just a matter of digging into the box with that mind set each and every time.”

ROCKY ROADS

• Reliever Jairo Diaz, who had Tommy John surgery last March, has been throwing all of his pitches to hitters and should begin a minor league rehab assignment by May.

• Third baseman Tyler Nevin is fully recovered from the severe left hamstring strain he suffered last year in spring training that limited him to one August plate appearance at short-season Boise.

— Jack Etkin is a writer based in Denver