MJ Melendez's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings
Player profile
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HT/WT6' 1'' , 190 lbs
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Birthdate11/29/1998 (26)
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Draft InfoUndrafted
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StatusInactive
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.
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.
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.