Recent Games

date h
Hits
r
Runs
hr
Home Runs
rbi
Runs Batted In
FPTS
Fantasy Points
May 8, 2024 0 0 0 0 —
May 7, 2024 1 1 0 0 3
May 6, 2024 0 0 0 0 —
May 5, 2024 2 0 0 0 4
May 4, 2024 0 0 0 0 -0.5
Full Game Log

Schedule

Regular season
vs
TEX
Sat, May 4
L 15-4
vs
TEX
Sun, May 5
L 3-2 / 10
vs
MIL
Mon, May 6
W 3-2
vs
MIL
Tue, May 7
L 6-5
vs
MIL
Wed, May 8
W 6-4
@
LAA
Thu, May 9
9:38 pm
FS1
@
LAA
Fri, May 10
9:38 pm
ATV+
@
LAA
Sat, May 11
9:38 pm
MLBN
@
LAA
Sun, May 12
4:07 pm
@
SEA
Mon, May 13
9:40 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 601.8 10 4 12 9 2 .185
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
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Fantasy Performance by Week
39%
Roster
23%
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Fantasy News

  • Royals' MJ Melendez: Swipes bag Sunday

    Rotowire
    Melendez went 2-for-4 with a double and a stolen base in Sunday's 3-2 extra-inning loss to the Rangers. This was Melendez's first multi-hit effort since April 19 -- he went 2-for-36 over the previous 12 contests. The 25-year-old started the year hot, batting .325 over his first 12 games, but he's since returned to his career norms. He's slashing a poor .186/.252/.363 with four home runs, two steals, 12 RBI, nine runs scored and six doubles over 111 plate appearances. Despite the poor batting, Melendez is still seeing a majority of the playing time in left field, keeping Nelson Velazquez at designated hitter and Dairon Blanco on the bench.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: On bench again Sunday

    Rotowire
    Melendez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Tigers. After he surprisingly found himself on the bench Saturday against right-hander Casey Mize, the lefty-hitting Melendez's absence from the lineup Sunday is more expected with ace southpaw Tarik Skubal starting for Detroit. Melendez still looks to have a hold on a strong-side platoon role in the Kansas City outfield, though his grip on a regular job may be loosening in the wake of his poor start to the season. He enters Sunday's contest slashing .198/.278/.407 on the campaign through 90 plate appearances.
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  • Royals' MJ Melendez: Won't start Saturday

    Rotowire
    Melendez is not in the Royals' starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Tigers. Melendez has gone 0-for-12 over his last four starts, reaching base once on a walk over that span. Dairon Blanco will start in left field and bat eighth against Tigers right-hander Casey Mize.
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  • 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.
    ... See More ... See Less

  • 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: 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: 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.
    ... See More ... See Less
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