Recent Games

date h
Hits
r
Runs
hr
Home Runs
rbi
Runs Batted In
FPTS
Fantasy Points
Apr 21, 2024 1 0 0 0 0.5
Apr 20, 2024 0 0 0 0 —
Apr 19, 2024 2 2 1 4 10.5
Apr 17, 2024 0 0 0 0 -0.5
Apr 17, 2024 0 0 0 0 -0.5
Full Game Log

Schedule

Regular season
@
CHW
Wed, Apr 17
L 2-1
vs
BAL
Fri, Apr 19
W 9-4
vs
BAL
Sat, Apr 20
L 9-7
vs
BAL
Sun, Apr 21
L 5-0
vs
TOR
Mon, Apr 22
L 5-3
vs
TOR
KC 3, TOR 2 - 7th
vs
TOR
Wed, Apr 24
7:40 pm
ESP+
vs
TOR
Thu, Apr 25
2:10 pm
@
DET
Fri, Apr 26
1:10 pm
MLBN
@
DET
Sat, Apr 27
6:10 pm
Full Schedule

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Player Outlook
At best, you could say MJ Melendez stagnated from his first to second season. At worst, you could say he slipped a bit, as a drop in OPS+ from 99 to 95 and a rise in strikeout rate from 24.5 percent to 28.2 percent can attest. If you're looking for a silver lining, it's that Melendez still hit the ball very hard when he made contact, boasting an average exit velocity in the 96th percentile and a barrel rate in the 75th percentile. He's also a flyball hitter and a pull hitter, things that, when combined with his quality of contact, make it curious as to how his home run total dropped. There could still be some untapped potential with Melendez, and he did finish with an .861 OPS and eight homers over the final two months. The team and ballpark context are poor, though, and he's losing catcher eligibility.

Fantasy Stats

Year fpts
Fantasy Points
fpts/g
Fantasy Points per Game
r
Runs
hr
Home Runs
rbi
Runs Batted In
bb
Base on Balls (Walk)
sb
Stolen Bases
avg
Batting Average
2024 552.8 9 4 12 8 1 .232
2023 3212.2 65 16 56 62 6 .235
2022 302.52.3 57 18 62 66 2 .217
3y Avg. 3112.3 61 17 59 64 4 .226
Full Career Stats
Projections Powered by
Fantasy Performance by Week
70%
Roster
53%
Start

Fantasy News

  • Royals' MJ Melendez: Hits bench against southpaw

    Rotowire
    Melendez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jays. With lefty Yusei Kikuchi on the bump for Toronto, the Royals will stock up on some extra right-handed bats. Dairon Blanco and Garrett Hampson will both pick up starts in the outfield while Melendez and fellow lefty-hitting regular Kyle Isbel hit the bench.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: Plates four in victory

    Rotowire
    Melendez went 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBI and scored twice during Friday's 9-4 victory against the Orioles. Melendez's RBI single drove in the first of what would become a five-run sixth inning for Kansas City, and his three-run blast in the seventh ensured the Orioles wouldn't come from behind to steal the victory. The 25-year-old's performance Friday broke an 0-for-18 stretch at the plate that spanned five games, though he still boasts an .845 OPS on the year despite the cold streak.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: Sits down versus lefty

    Rotowire
    Melendez isn't in the Royals' lineup for Saturday's game against the Mets. With left-hander Sean Manaea set to toe the slab for New York, the left-handed bat of Melendez will begin Saturday's game in the dugout. Dairon Blanco will cover left field in Melendez's absence and bat ninth.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: Homers again Sunday

    Rotowire
    Melendez went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 5-3 win over the White Sox. Melendez got the start at designated hitter with Nelson Velazquez in left field against White Sox southpaw Garrett Crochet. Melendez didn't find any success against Crochet, but he was able to take righty reliever Deivi Garcia deep for a go-ahead homer in the seventh inning. With three homers over his last four games, Melendez is off to a great start this season. He's added eight RBI, five runs scored and four doubles over 34 plate appearances, and his presence in the lineup against a southpaw suggests he has at least a path to more than a strong-side platoon role.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: Plates winning run Friday

    Rotowire
    Melendez went 1-for-3 with one RBI and a walk in Friday's 2-1 win over the White Sox. Melendez stepped up with an RBI single in the eighth inning to bring home the decisive run. He's hitting well to begin 2024, going 8-for-24 with a home run, four doubles, four RBI and three runs scored. He's also displayed better plate discipline with a 3:5 BB:K. Melendez's power has rarely been in question, and it can only help if he can cut down on the whiffs. It appears he's on the strong side of a platoon in left field, as he sat out the one game the Royals faced a southpaw this season, though he could eventually push toward a full-time role if his bat stays hot. Nelson Velazquez has typically been the designated hitter, but he started in left when Melendez was on the bench.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: Double, home run in win

    Rotowire
    Melendez went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, a double and an additional run scored in Thursday's 10-1 victory over the White Sox. Melendez delivered the final blow in the Royals' eight-run seventh inning, blasting a two-run, 421-foot homer off Dominic Leone to extend Kansas City's lead to 10-1. It's the first long ball of the year for the 25-year-old Melendez. though he's gotten off to a nice start, going 7-for-21 with five extra-base hits through his first six games. Melendez slashed .235/.316/.398 with 16 homers, 56 RBI and 65 runs scored across 148 games last season.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: Not in Tuesday's lineup

    Rotowire
    Melendez is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game at Baltimore. The Royals are facing their first left-handed starting pitcher of the season as Cole Irvin takes the mound for the Orioles, and Melendez will also head to the bench. Nelson Velazquez will man left field while Salvador Perez serves as the designated hitter.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: Decent start to spring

    Rotowire
    Melendez has gone 3-for-11 over his first five Cactus League games. Melendez will focus on the outfield in 2024, projecting as the starting left fielder, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Melendez has yet to put all of his tools together over his first two big-league seasons. He's hit 34 home runs and added 118 RBI over 277 contests, but he slashed just .235/.316/.398 last season. While Melendez's spot on the field is secure, any prolonged slump could open the door for Drew Waters -- who can play at all three outfield spots -- to get more of a look.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: Set to play in outfield

    Rotowire
    Melendez is slated to play primarily in the outfield in 2024, Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas City Star reports. Melendez played primarily behind the dish in 2022 but started just 10 games at catcher last season. His production remained relatively steady, as he slashed .235/.316/.398 with 16 homers, 65 runs and 56 RBI over 148 games. The 25-year-old isn't expected to spend time at catcher in 2024, although it's unclear whether his more consistent role on defense will translate to better results at the plate.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: Homers in Sunday's win

    Rotowire
    Melendez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Yankees. Melendez was marginally better over the final month of the season, going 18-for-69 (.261) with four homers over his last 22 contests of the season. His playing time dipped a bit in the last couple of weeks, but that may have been a product of the Royals auditioning other players late in the campaign. Melendez closed 2023 with a .235/.316/.398 slash line, 16 long balls, 56 RBI, 65 runs scored, six stolen bases, 29 doubles and five triples over 148 games. A natural catcher, he focused on the outfield from May on to make progress with his hitting, which has been rather modest through two big-league seasons.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: Sitting versus lefty

    Rotowire
    Melendez is absent from the lineup for Friday's contest versus the Yankees. Southpaw Carlos Rodon is getting the start for the Yankees, so the left-handed hitting MJ Melendez will begin Friday's proceedings on the bench. Edward Olivares will get a start in left field while Nick Loftin handles designated hitter duties.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: Out of Sunday's lineup

    Rotowire
    Melendez isn't starting Sunday against Houston. Melendez has gone 1-for-8 with two RBI and a run scored across the first two games of the series, and he'll sit out the finale. Edward Olivares will start in left field Sunday, allowing Salvador Perez to serve as the DH while Logan Porter starts behind the dish.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: Slugs 15th homer

    Rotowire
    Melendez went 2-for-3 with a walk, a home run, three runs scored and three RBI in Tuesday's 7-6 win over the Guardians. He got the fireworks started by lofting a Logan Allen sweeper over the right-field wall in the first inning for a two-run homer. Melendez is having a big finish to the season, slashing .283/.431/.543 through 15 games in September with more walks (12) than strikeouts (11), and while he hasn't matched his 2022 power output with only 15 homers and 53 RBI in 141 contests this season, his elite 98th percentile average exit velocity and 92nd percentile hard-hit rate mark the 24-year-old as a potential 2024 breakout candidate.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: On bench versus lefty

    Rotowire
    Melendez is not in the lineup Sunday versus the Astros. Nelson Velazquez, Drew Waters and Dairon Blanco will start across the outfield as the Royals take on left-hander Framber Valdez. Melendez carries a weak .552 OPS in 139 plate appearances against lefties this year.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: Gets aboard four times

    Rotowire
    Melendez went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional RBI and two walks in Tuesday's 7-6 win over the White Sox. Melendez has posted multiple hits in three of his four games in September while homering twice and drawing four walks in that span. He's carried over momentum from August, when he hit .280 for the month. For the season, he's at a .239/.311/.403 slash line with 14 homers, 48 RBI, 57 runs scored, six stolen bases, 28 doubles and four triples through 130 contests. Melendez should continue to play regularly down the stretch, with most of his rest days coming when the Royals face left-handed pitchers.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: On base five times in loss

    Rotowire
    Melendez went 3-for-3 with two walks, a double, a home run and two RBI in Saturday's 9-5 loss to the Red Sox. He launched a solo shot off Nick Pivetta in the ninth inning to snap an 18-game homer drought and cap a very impressive performance in a losing effort. Melendez's 97th percentile exit velocity has finally begun to turn into consistent production in the second half of the campaign, and since the beginning of August the 24-year-old is slashing .301/.357/.553 with five of his 13 homers on the season along with 11 RBI and 16 runs in 28 contests.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: Heads to bench

    Rotowire
    Melendez will not start Saturday's game against the Mariners. Melendez sits for the first time in two weeks. He has an .811 OPS since his last trip to the bench, but that's only been enough to drag his OPS on the season up to .695. Dairon Blanco starts in left field Saturday.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: Turns in another strong game

    Rotowire
    Melendez went 3-for-4 with a double, one RBI and one run scored in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to the Mariners. Melendez logged his second three-hit effort in a row, and he's now batting .333 (18-for-54) in August. The 24-year-old started in left field but also shifted to first base after Dairon Blanco stayed in the game following his appearance as a pinch runner. Melendez has worked exclusively in the corner outfield for a majority of the year, but a bit more versatility could help him stick in the lineup -- especially if Salvador Perez catches more often now that Freddy Fermin's bat has cooled off a bit. Melendez is sporting a .232/.305/.388 slash line with 12 home runs, 43 RBI, 50 runs scored and six stolen bases through 114 contests.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: Heads to bench

    Rotowire
    Melendez will be on the bench for Saturday's game against St. Louis. Melendez hits the bench after starting six straight games, a run in which he went 9-for-24 with four homers. That recent hot streak has only been enough to drag his OPS on the season up to a disappointing .681. Samad Taylor starts in left field Saturday.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: Knocks three hits Monday

    Rotowire
    Melendez went 3-for-4 in Monday's 6-2 loss to the Red Sox. Melendez did his part to get on base, but the Royals' Nos. 5-9 hitters went a combined 2-for-19 with one walk, leaving him stranded. The 24-year-old had gone just 6-for-32 across his previous nine contests since his last multi-hit effort. Melendez is up to a .220/.297/.359 slash line through 106 games overall. He slashed a reasonable .241/.290/.402 in July, which was his steadiest month at the plate this season.
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