MJ Melendez Stats
- Height / Weight
- 6' 1" / 190 lbs.
- Date of Birth (Age)
- 11/29/1998 (25)
- Experience
- 2
- College
- None
MJ Melendez Season Stats
Last 10 Games
MJ Melendez News
Kansas City Royals outfielder MJ Melendez continued his hot start to the season on Thursday, leading the Royals to a 10-1 win over the Chicago White Sox. Melendez went 2-for-4 with a double, a homer, two runs scored, and two RBI. The 25-year-old hasn't lived up to expectations in his first few years in the bigs, but it is important to remember that he is still young and he may be coming around, as he is hitting .333/.391/.667 so far this year. It is a small sample, but it is something worth keeping an eye on, especially in leagues where he is still catcher eligible.
Kansas City Royals outfielder MJ Melendez hit his second home run of the spring on Saturday in a 7-6 Cactus League loss to the Cubs. Melendez went 2-for-4 in the contest, with a double, home run, three RBI, and one run scored. He was also caught trying to steal third base. The Royals' leadoff hitter is stuffing the stat sheet this spring, going 11-for-30 (.367) with three doubles, a triple, two home runs, seven RBI, five runs scored, a stolen base, and a BB:K of 5:5. The lefty hitter is currently projected to be in a platoon situation as he was much more productive against RHP last season, but if he were able to secure a full-time role he would be much more valuable for fantasy purposes hitting atop the Royals lineup and he may even attain eligibility at catcher on some sites.
Kansas City Royals catcher/outfielder MJ Melendez is expected to primarily play the outfield in 2024 after he mostly served as a catcher in his second MLB season in 2023. The 25-year-old produced impressive numbers at the position in 148 games over 602 plate appearances, slashing .235/.316/.398 with 16 home runs, 56 RBI, 29 doubles, three triples, six stolen bases and 65 runs scored after hitting 18 home runs in just 129 games in his rookie season in 2022. Melendez's numbers slipped a bit in his sophomore campaign with KC, but he still hit the ball hard and had an exit velocity in the 96th percentile, and he could become even more productive at the plate this year if he's not catching at all. The main problem for his fantasy value moving forward is that he's going to lose catcher eligibility.
Batting Order
1 | Adam Frazier |
2 | Bobby Witt Jr. |
3 | Vinnie Pasquantino |
4 | Salvador Perez |
5 | Michael Massey |
6 | Hunter Renfroe |
7 | MJ Melendez |
8 | Freddy Fermin |
9 | Kyle Isbel |
MJ Melendez Stats
Last 10 Games
Batting Order
1 | Adam Frazier |
2 | Bobby Witt Jr. |
3 | Vinnie Pasquantino |
4 | Salvador Perez |
5 | Michael Massey |
6 | Hunter Renfroe |
7 | MJ Melendez |
8 | Freddy Fermin |
9 | Kyle Isbel |
Kansas City Royals catcher/outfielder MJ Melendez was called up to the majors on May 1st and posted a solid stat line in his rookie season. The 24-year-old slashed .217/.313/.393 with 18 home runs, 67 RBI, 57 runs, and two stolen bases across 534 plate appearances in his rookie campaign. Salvador Perez is Kansas City's primary catcher, but Melendez should see playing time in the outfield and log some at-bats at designated hitter. He has legit power and was the 2021 minor-league home run leader, smashing 41 homers over 123 games between Double-A and Triple-A. His power transferred over to the majors as his average exit velocity was in the 81 percentile, while his hard-hit percentage was in the 69 percentile. Melendez gets a passing grade on offense, but his defense behind the plate could cost him playing time at catcher as his framing is the one percentile. The former second-round pick is expected to log 500-plus at-bats between catcher, outfield, and designated hitter. Melendez is Rotoballer's seventh-ranked catcher, and ATC projections are on board with this assessment. ATC projects Melendez to slash .231/.320/.430 with 22 home runs, 65 RBI, 66 runs, and four stolen bases over 551 plate appearances in 2023. Melendez should pop 20-plus homers with dual position legibility between catcher and outfield, making him a solid pick at his NFBC ADP of 96.