MJ Melendez Stats
- Height / Weight
- 6' 1" / 190 lbs.
- Date of Birth (Age)
- 11/29/1998 (24)
- Experience
- 1
- College
- None
MJ Melendez Season Stats
Last 10 Games
MJ Melendez News
Kansas City Royals catcher/outfielder MJ Melendez put together a solid game on Thursday, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, but his team ultimately fell to the Seattle Mariners 6-4. The 24-year-old came into the 2023 campaign with solid power potential, but he's gone deep just 12 times across 115 games and owns a .235 batting average with 50 runs, 44 RBI, and six stolen bases. With that kind of production, he doesn't have much value in standard and one-catcher formats, and fantasy managers can find better options than Melendez on the waiver wire.
Kansas City Royals outfielder MJ Melendez is out of the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 24-year-old could use a breather after going 0-for-5 with a pair of strikeouts on Friday. Melendez is hitting .154/.250/.180 with no homers, two RBI and a 14/4 K/BB ratio over his last 11 games. Samad Taylor will cover left field and bat seventh versus left-hander Julio Urias on Saturday.
Kansas City Royals outfielder/catcher MJ Melendez went 3-for-4 with two RBI, two stolen bases, a run scored, and a walk in Thursday's 6-5 win against the Tampa Bay Rays. He legged out a go-ahead infield single on a dribbler during the ninth inning. It's been a quiet year for the 24-year-old, but he is hitting the ball as hard as any fantasy-eligible backstop. Melendez has exhibited a severe lack of plate discipline, though, rendering him not much more than a borderline hold in shallow leagues at a barren position. At least the big-armed Melendez regularly bats in the top-half of the lineup to help keep his fantasy value somewhat afloat. The left-handed hitter is slashing .220/.303/.356 with six home runs, 31 RBI, and four thefts in 250 at-bats this year.
Batting Order
| 1 | Maikel Garcia |
| 2 | Bobby Witt Jr. |
| 3 | Salvador Perez |
| 4 | MJ Melendez |
| 5 | Edward Olivares |
| 6 | Michael Massey |
| 7 | Dairon Blanco |
| 8 | Nick Pratto |
| 9 | Matt Duffy |
MJ Melendez Stats
Last 10 Games
Batting Order
| 1 | Maikel Garcia |
| 2 | Bobby Witt Jr. |
| 3 | Salvador Perez |
| 4 | MJ Melendez |
| 5 | Edward Olivares |
| 6 | Michael Massey |
| 7 | Dairon Blanco |
| 8 | Nick Pratto |
| 9 | Matt Duffy |
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.
