MJ Melendez still needs to prove himself with Kansas City Royals

MJ Melendez had garnered some prospect buzz before. The Kansas City Royals catcher had been considered on the fringes of the top 100 prospect list prior to the 2019 season, a player to keep an eye on moving forward. Then the 2019 season happened.

Melendez absolutely cratered that season. He produced a miserable .163/.260/.311 batting line in his 419 plate appearances at High-A, hitting nine homers and 23 doubles. While he still drew 44 walks, he struck out 165 times. That lack of production, coupled with his high strikeout rate, were reasons for concern, especially after the 2020 season was lost due to the pandemic.

MJ Melendez still has something to prove to Kansas City Royals

He was a completely different player in 2021. Melendez worked to completely overhaul his swing during the 2020 break, hoping to prove that he was still a key piece for the Royals’ future. He did exactly that during a breakout campaign, posting a .288/.386/.625 batting line in his 531 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A, belting 41 homers and 22 doubles. He increased his walks rate while cutting down on strikeouts as he has become a consensus top 100 prospect.

As it is, the Royals are looking to find ways to get his bat into the lineup sooner rather than later. Salvador Perez is locked in as their starting catcher for the foreseeable future. With that in mind, Melendez has been getting reps at third base and in the outfield while he could presumably get games behind the plate when Perez gets a partial day off as the designated hitter.

But this is all contingent on Melendez proving that his breakout showing last year is sustainable. It is easy to be excited about his future and to envision that he will be a key part of the Royals’ next contending team. Nonetheless, the burden of proof will remain on his bat.

Chances are, Melendez will begin the 2022 season at Triple-A. He has all of nine games of experience at a position other than catcher, with those appearances coming at third base last year. It will take time for him to get comfortable at the hot corner and in the outfield. While teams will throw the defense card as a way to manipulate service time, it is a viable concern in this case.

As he works to learn those positions, those questions as to whether or not he can sustain that performance should be answered as well. The Royals will be able to take their time and make sure that he can be a part of the future. If Melendez does prove to be part of the future, he could make his debut by the middle of the 2022 season.

MJ Melendez had a breakout campaign in 2021. The Kansas City Royals top catching prospect needs to show that he can do it again.