MJ Melendez

MJ Melendez Fantasy Stats

#1 LF  |  Kansas City Royals
Healthy

Height / Weight 6'1"  /  190 lbs.
Date of Birth (Age) Nov 29, 1998 (25)
Experience 3 seasons
College None

Season Stats

SEASON TEAM POS GP AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS FPTS
2022KCC1294605710021318626613123.217.313.393.706865.0
2023KCRF1485336512529516566217064.235.316.398.714972.0
2024KCLF135412448523317443511344.206.273.400.673707.0
Career 412 1405 166 310 73 11 51 162 163 414 12 11 .221 .303 .397 .700 2544.0

Game Log

TEAM OPP POS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS FPTS
Oct 1, 2024 KCBALLF30000000000.000.000.000.0000.0
Oct 2, 2024 KCBALLF40100000200.250.250.250.5003.0
Oct 5, 2024 KCNYYLF41200120000.500.5001.2501.75019.0
Oct 7, 2024 KCNYYLF20000000000.000.000.000.0000.0
Last 4 13 1 3 0 0 1 2 0 2 0 0 .231 .231 .462 .692 22.0

Royals Depth Chart

C

Freddy Fermin

Salvador Perez

MJ Melendez

1B

Vinnie Pasquantino

Salvador Perez

Yuli Gurriel

2B

Michael Massey

Adam Frazier

Maikel Garcia

Garrett Hampson

SS

Bobby Witt Jr.

Maikel Garcia

Paul DeJong

3B

Paul DeJong

Maikel Garcia

Adam Frazier

LF

MJ Melendez

Dairon Blanco

Tommy Pham

Garrett Hampson

Adam Frazier

CF

Kyle Isbel

Garrett Hampson

Dairon Blanco

RF

Tommy Pham

Hunter Renfroe

Adam Frazier

Dairon Blanco

SP

Cole Ragans

Seth Lugo

Michael Wacha

Brady Singer

Michael Lorenzen

RP

Angel Zerpa

John Schreiber

Sam Long

MJ Melendez News

Paul DeJong  • SS  •  Royals  |  MJ Melendez  • LF  •  Royals

MJ Melendez, Paul DeJong Both Not In Lineup Saturday

Kansas City Royals catcher/outfielder MJ Melendez and shortstop Paul DeJong are starting Saturday's game against the Detroit Tigers on the bench. Both players have been swinging hot bats recently, with Melendez slashing .278/.316/.500 and DeJong slashing .375/.423/.750 in their last seven games. This speaks to the strength and depth of the Royals lineup, as Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez are starting in their places. Still, both or either player could find their way into the game as pinch hitters late.
Aug 24   
MJ Melendez  • LF  •  Royals

MJ Melendez Returns From Injured List On Sunday

Kansas City Royals outfielder MJ Melendez (ankle) was activated off the 10-day IL on Sunday and will bat in the six-hole as the Royals play the rubber match of a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs. In a corresponding move, the Royals optioned outfielder Drew Waters to Triple-A Omaha. The 25-year-old hit the IL on July 16 due to a sprained ankle and did not need too much time to recover. Melendez sits with a .195/.260/.392 line with 11 home runs and two stolen bases through 85 games this season. He could be worth a look in DFS this afternoon as he will face Chicago right-hander Javier Assad, who has posted a hefty 6.40 ERA and 2.40 WHIP in his past three starts.
Jul 28   
MJ Melendez  • LF  •  Royals

MJ Melendez To Begin A Rehab Assignment On Thursday

Kansas City Royals outfielder MJ Melendez (ankle) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment on Thursday night with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Melendez is getting closer to a return to the Royals lineup after spraining his ankle on July 14. If the 25-year-old can avoid a setback with his ankle at Northwest Arkansas, there's a chance he could be back for the weekend series against the visiting Chicago Cubs. Before getting hurt just before the All-Star break, Melendez was serving as Kansas City's starting left fielder. The former second-round selection in 2017 is hitting just .196 (52-for-265) on the year with 11 home runs, 29 RBI and 26 runs scored in 85 games, making him useful as outfield depth in AL-only leagues for his power.
Jul 25   
MJ Melendez  • LF  •  Royals

MJ Melendez Resumes Baseball Activities

Kansas City Royals outfielder MJ Melendez (ankle) is recovering in Kansas City and has already started hitting in the cages and doing some defensive drills on the field. Melendez's timeline to return from a sprained left ankle could be 10 days to two weeks, putting him in line to rejoin the Royals by either the end of July or early August. Whether or not a minor-league rehab assignment is required will be determined later this week after seeing how the 25-year-old former top prospect progresses. Veteran utility man Adam Frazier has taken on an everyday role as in left field as KC's primary leadoff man in Melendez's absence, but his fantasy appeal remains minimal while batting 35-for-175 (.200) with three home runs, 13 RBI, 20 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 65 games.
Jul 23   
MJ Melendez  • LF  •  Royals

MJ Melendez Placed On 10-Day Injured List

The Kansas City Royals placed outfielder MJ Melendez (ankle) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to July 15) with a left-ankle sprain on Tuesday. The move to the IL comes after Melendez sprained his ankle in Sunday's contest against the Boston Red Sox. At the very least, the 25-year-old will miss the first six games of the second half of the season. He'll be eligible to return to the Royals on July 26. Melendez, a left-handed hitter, does have 11 home runs in 85 games this year and is on track to set a new career-high in that category, but he's also hitting just .192 (51-for-265) and lacks speed (two steals). For however long he's out, both Dairon Blanco and Garrett Hampson could see more playing time in Kansas City in left field. Melendez has hit .273 (9-for-33) with three homers in 10 games in July.
Jul 16   
MJ Melendez  • LF  •  Royals

MJ Melendez Hits 11th Home Run Friday

Kansas City Royals outfielder MJ Melendez went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, including going deep for the 11th time in Friday's 6-1 win over the Red Sox. It has been a disappointing season for the 25-year-old, slashing just .196/.259/.392 so far, but in July he has shown signs of life. This month the left-handed hitter has gone 9-for-28 (.321) and has homered in three of his last four games. If he can keep it up he'd surely be an attractive fantasy asset, and he offers fantasy managers the rare C/OF position eligibility combination despite not logging a start at catcher yet this season.
Jul 13   
MJ Melendez  • LF  •  Royals

MJ Melendez Hits Grand Slam In Saturday Win

Kansas City Royals outfielder MJ Melendez turned in a big performance in a 7-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday. Melendez went 2-for-4 with a grand slam to power the Royals to the win over LA. The veteran blew open the game in the seventh inning when he deposited a ball over the wall in right field to clear the bases and put KC up 5-2. Melendez worked a 12-pitch at-bat before ripping his first career grand slam, a shot that traveled 395 feet and had an exit velocity of 103.2 MPH. It has been a rough go for the veteran this season as he is now hitting .168 with eight homers, 19 runs, 23 RBI, and two steals across 196 at-bats in 2024. Hopefully the big night on Saturday will get his season turned around.
Jun 16   
MJ Melendez  • LF  •  Royals

MJ Melendez Goes Yard

Kansas City Royals catcher/outfielder MJ Melendez went 1-for-3 with a walk and solo home run in Thursday's loss against the division rival Minnesota Twins. Melendez crushed a first-pitch fastball 416 feet off Caleb Thielber in the top of the fourth inning to extend the Royals lead to 4-0 at the time, but it would not be enough. With his homer, Melendez picked up his first RBI on the road in 2024. The 25-year-old entered the season with high hopes, but has struggling through the first third of the season with a .176 batting average to go along with five home runs, 13 RBI and two stolen bases. Having catcher eligibility on most platforms helps Melendez, but his overall struggles make him replaceable for a hot bat on the waiver wire this far into the season.
May 31   
MJ Melendez  • LF  •  Royals

MJ Melendez Knocks Two Extra-Base Hits On Thursday

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.
Apr 5   
MJ Melendez  • LF  •  Royals

MJ Melendez Homers, Drives In Three On Saturday

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.
Mar 17   
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