Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | KC | C | 14 | 45 |
Grades Update: May 2021
| OFP | Role | Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 40 | 30 | 55 | 55 | 60 | 40 |
May 2021 Report
Evaluator: Jake Martin
Age: 22 yr
Height: 6-1
Weight: 190 lbs
Hits/Throws: L/R
Acquired: 2017 Round 2
RuleV: 2021
Physical Description: 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame. Some current muscle spaced out throughout. Catchers usually have a stockier frame with a thicker lower half, but this body type is not unheard of. Could fill out a little further.
Hit: Slightly closed stance with hands near back ear. Barrel sways from over his head to resting on his shoulder. Base is slightly wider than shoulder-width. His timing mechanism varies. Sometimes he uses a large leg lift with his front leg crossing over his body before striding. Other times he uses a simple toe-tap trigger. He keeps his weight in his toes causing some plate-side lean. Melendez does a good job incorporating his lower half into his swing and moving forward through the pitch. Majority of ground balls go to the pull side, line drives are sprayed but more pull side and fly balls are pretty well sprayed with most going up the middle. Really struggles making contact. Has struck out over 30% of the time in all three minor league seasons including a poultry 40% in 2019. It is not necessarily a chase problem, he has average walk rates, but he will swing out of the zone and struggles making contact in the zone. Hits right handed pitching exceedingly better than left handed pitching. The main problem with Melendez is timing and a little bit of balance. His swing is not horrible, he uses his body well. He just struggles with timing and might hesitate on some swings. He also is a little herky-jerky, kind of a lot going on. Mechanics are there, it is just some mental room for improvement. Grade: 30
Power: Has some present power thanks to his strength and swing mechanics. He does not lock out his front leg or lean back, he surprisingly has a pretty good contact swing (despite not making much contact). He just uses his lower half extremely well and gets the most out of his body. Mostly extra-base power but certainly has the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark. Not a speedster, so most of the power is legit. Grade: 55
Field: Melendez has received mixed reviews behind the dish. He generally catches off of one leg which is more conducive for framing pitches. He also has solid footwork on throws with athletic and agile movements. Athleticism helps with blocking skills. I am more impressed than skeptical so I will take the high side. Grade: 55
Arm: Strong footwork definitely contributes to plus pop times down to second base. However, Melendez also gets strong force into his throws thanks to plus arm strength. Throws have good strength, carry, and accuracy. Plus arm but unfortunately catcher throwing is typically overrated. Grade: 60
Run: Not a speedster and legs will probably wear down faster than average because of his strenuous position. Faster than current catcher Salvador Perez but slower than the average runner. Grade: 40
Overall: Solid defensive catcher with some power potential. This combination has played at the Major League level time and time again. His swing actually is not too mechanically bad other than some balance points but he struggles with making contact. It could be something of a mental barrier that he needs to eclipse. If he does, we are looking at an all-star caliber catcher because all of the other tools are there. However, as it currently stands, he would project to be an average second division Major League player.
OFP: 45
Role: 40 - Second Division Regular
Risk: Moderate
