MJ MELENDEZ NEWS

Hitting well so far Melendez has gone 6-for-16 (.375) with three extra-base hits, six RBI, six runs scored, a stolen base and a 2:3 BB:K through six Cactus League games.

Impact Melendez should be able to find a near-everyday home in the Royals' lineup this season, with catcher and designated hitter likely his two most common spots. He showed off solid power in 2022 with 18 home runs in 129 contests while frequently playing in the corner outfield. While it's unwise to read too much into spring stats, the fact that he's making some consistent contact is encouraging -- he batted .217 with a 24.5 percent strikeout rate last year. If nothing else, his positional versatility could be attractive to fantasy managers, especially if he ends up playing more than most catcher-eligible players.

MARCH 10, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Stolen base risers: MJ Melendez, Ian Happ and more beneficiaries of MLB's new rules Michael Salfino identifies five hitters who, thanks to the new MLB rule changes, could see a sneaky uptick in stolen bases.

MARCH 6, 2023 • THEATHLETIC.COM

Ranking the best 24 catchers of 2023 in the MLB

Who are baseball's best catchers? Ben Verlander breaks down his five tiers for the toughest position in baseball.

FEBRUARY 22, 2023

KC Royals may be exploring options at catcher behind veteran Sal Perez and MJ Melendez The Royals need to decide how much of a factor MJ Melendez will be behind the plate.

OCTOBER 19, 2022 • KANSASCITY.COM

KC Royals' MJ Melendez had a unique rookie season, forced his way into daily lineup The plan wasn’t to bring Melendez up in May. Once he arrived, he made the Royals come up with new plans.

OCTOBER 4, 2022 • KANSASCITY.COM

Posts three hits Melendez went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI in Sunday's 7-5 loss to the Guardians.

Impact Melendez was solid atop the Royals' order, and he contributed an RBI single in the eighth inning as the team tried to claw back from a deficit. The rookie has hit safely in four of his last five games, contributing a home run, three doubles, three RBI and three runs scored while going 7-for-19 in that span. For the season, he's up to a .224/.321/.405 slash line with 18 home runs, 62 RBI, 57 runs scored and two stolen bases through 126 contests.

OCTOBER 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Tallies 18th homer Melendez went 1-for-3 with two walks and a solo home run Wednesday against the Tigers.

Impact Melendez took Will Vest deep to lead off the game for his 18th homer of the season. Melendez now has three home runs across his last seven starts, though he's gone hitless on four occasions in that span. Through 503 career plate appearances, Melendez owns a .314 wOBA and 101 wRC+.

SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Melendez homers again, displaying 'special talent' DETROIT -- MJ Melendez wasn’t wasting any time. Two hours after describing his approach to Tigers scheduled starter Matt Manning as “he like...

SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 • MLB.COM

Deep blast in win Melendez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 5-2 win over Minnesota.

Impact Melendez led off the first inning with a home run off righty starter Bailey Ober to open the scoring. During his last five games, the catcher has recorded a .850 slugging percentage over 20 at-bats with five RBI and home runs in back-to-back games.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Scores four runs in win Melendez went 3-for-5 with two RBI, four runs scored and a steal in Saturday's victory over the Red Sox.

Impact Melendez singled home Nate Eaton in the third inning of Saturday's contest, then picked up another RBI in the sixth when Michael Massey scored on the catcher's groundout. Melendez reached home on four singles, including one from Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt and two from Vinnie Pasquantino. Melendez also swiped a bag, his second of the season. This three-hit outing was arguably his best performance of the season and gives him hits in back-to-back games. Melendez's batting average is now up to .222 after the stellar outing.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Receiving day off Melendez is out of the lineup Thursday against the Rays.

Impact Melendez will get a much-needed day off after he started 23 of the team's previous 24 games. While moving between both corner-outfield spots, catcher and designated hitter, Melendez should continue to hold down a full-time spot in the lineup as Kansas City's leadoff man. However, the Royals will turn to fellow rookie Michael Massey as their table setter Thursday, while Melendez gets a chance to rest after going 0-for-18 with five walks over his previous six games.

AUGUST 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Healthy scratch Sunday Manager Mike Matheny said Melendez was scratched from Sunday's lineup against the Dodgers in order to "give another player an opportunity," Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Impact The 23-year-old was penciled in to bat leadoff in Sunday's series finale, but he instead came off the bench in favor of Nate Eaton. It's good news Melendez isn't dealing with an injury, but Matheny's post-game comments aren't exactly encouraging. Melendez has an .805 OPS with four home runs, 13 RBI and eight runs through 13 games in August.

AUGUST 14, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Late scratch Sunday Melendez was scratched from Sunday's lineup against the Dodgers for undisclosed reasons.

Impact The 23-year-old was slated to start in left field and bat leadoff, but he was instead scratched from the lineup about an hour before first pitch. It's unclear if Melendez is dealing with an injury or if manager Mike Matheny simply opted for a late lineup change. Nate Eaton has entered the starting nine in Melendez's place.

AUGUST 14, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Three hits including homer Melendez went 3-for-4 with a solo homer, two RBI, two runs scored and a walk in Wednesday's win over the White Sox.

Impact Melendez delivered a monster performance Wednesday, delivering a go-ahead solo home run off Jake Diekman in the bottom of the seventh inning before ripping an RBI single in the following frame and coming around to score on a Salvador Perez base knock. He also had another single and a walk earlier in the contest. The rookie has gone 9-for-25 with four homers, 12 RBI and six runs over his last seven games.

AUGUST 11, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Royals rookie Melendez delivers in 8-3 win over White Sox

MJ Melendez hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning to send the Kansas City Royals past the Chicago White Sox 8-3

AUGUST 11, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rookie MJ Melendez posts 6-RBI game as Royals smash Red Sox 13-5 MJ Melendez hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning and had a career-high six RBIs to help the Kansas City Royals beat the Boston Red S...

AUGUST 8, 2022 • ORLANDOSENTINEL.COM

Drives in six runs Melendez went 2-for-3 with a home run and six RBI in Sunday's 13-5 win over Boston.

Impact Melendez hit an RBI single in the third inning before drilling a three-run shot in the fifth. He later added two RBI sacrifice flies in the contest. After a nine-game homerless drought in which Melendez went 7-for-33 (.212), he has three long balls and 10 RBI over his last four appearances. On the year, the 23-year-old rookie is slashing .236/.320/.442 with 29 extra-base hits and 38 RBI through 78 games.

AUGUST 8, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Kansas City Royals rookie MJ Melendez drives in 6 in win over Red Sox Kansas City Royals rookie catcher/outfielder MJ Melendez hit a home run and had 6 RBIs in a 13-5 win over the Boston Red Sox at Kauffman Sta...

AUGUST 8, 2022 • KANSASCITY.COM

Melendez posts 6-RBI game as Royals smash Red Sox 13-5

MJ Melendez hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning and had a career-high six RBIs to help the Kansas City Royals beat the Boston Red Sox 13-5

AUGUST 7, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Opens scoring with 12th homer Melendez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Red Sox.

Impact Melendez hit a leadoff homer for the second time in three games, and this one wasn't cheap. He took Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi deep on a 434-foot blast that left the bat at 107.9 mph. Melendez's power has translated well in the majors -- he's logged a 10 percent barrel rate while popping 12 long balls and maintaining a .429 slugging percentage through 77 contests. He's added a .231 batting average, 32 RBI, 31 runs scored, 14 doubles and two triples across 311 plate appearances, and the departure of Whit Merrifield has given Melendez a chance to be the everyday leadoff hitter.

AUGUST 7, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Hits leadoff homer Melendez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Thursday's 7-3 win over the Red Sox.

Impact Melendez led off the first inning with a homer, his 11th of the season and first since July 25. That blast snapped an 0-for-12 skid the plate for Melendez. The 23-year-old natural catcher has had to move to the corner outfield with Salvador Perez back earlier than expected from thumb surgery. Since the start of July, Melendez is slashing .232/.300/.455 across 26 contests, though he's also struck out at a 34.5 percent rate in that span.

AUGUST 5, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

On base thrice in loss Melendez went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk in Thursday's 1-0 loss to the Yankees.

Impact The teams combined for six hits and five walks, with Melendez accounting for two of the Royals' four hits. The catcher has found success since the All-Star breaking, putting up a seven-game hitting streak. During that span, he's gone 10-for-28 (.357) with a home run and four doubles while hitting leadoff four times as he continues to challenge Whit Merrifield for that spot in the order. Melendez is up to a .233/.316/.429 slash line with 10 homers, two triples, 13 doubles, 28 RBI and 25 runs scored through 68 contests.

JULY 29, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Slugs 10th homer Melendez went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Monday's 7-0 victory versus the Angels.

Impact Melendez went 0-for-4 and struck out three times in his first four plate appearances, but he turned things around with a 406-foot, two-run blast in the eighth inning. The homer was his 10th of the campaign, making him one of seven rookies to reach that mark so far this season. Melendez is slashing a modest .227/.312/.424, however.

JULY 26, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Breather Sunday Melendez will sit Sunday versus the Rays.

Impact Melendez will get a breather after he went 4-for-10 with a double and two runs scored in the first two game of the series. Cam Gallagher will start at catcher and bat ninth in the series finale.

JULY 24, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Reinstated from restricted list The Royals reinstated Melendez (personal) from the restricted list Monday.

Impact Melendez was one of 10 Royals players who will rejoin the 26-man active roster after being ineligible to play during the four-game weekend series in Toronto due his vaccination status. He closed the Royals' first-half schedule with a .217/.309/.406 slash line to go with nine home runs, 25 RBI and 22 runs across 61 games. With Salvador Perez (thumb) unlikely to be ready to return from the 10-day injured list until some point in August, Melendez will step back in as the Royals' clear No. 1 catcher when the team opens its second-half slate Friday against the Rays.

JULY 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE