PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- It takes a lot to stand out in a batting practice group with Junior Caminero. Jacob Melton did just that Tuesday morning on Field 2 at Charlotte Sports Park.
The 25-year-old outfielder crushed balls all over the back field, an impressive display of power during Tampa Bay's first full-squad workout. It was just one example of the all-around athletic ability the Rays saw in Melton when they acquired him from the Astros as part of the three-team trade that sent Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum and Mason Montgomery to the Pirates.
“He hits the ball incredibly hard. I mean, off the bat, he hits the ball like Yandy [Díaz] and Cami do -- that hard,” manager Kevin Cash said Wednesday. “It really jumps off his bat.”
Melton, the Rays’ No. 4 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, is one of the most intriguing players in camp due to his combination of power, speed and defense. That skill set prompted president of baseball operations Erik Neander to say he has the potential to be a 20-homer, 40-steal player who can offer elite defense in center field -- and that he’s “not terribly far off” from reaching that ceiling.
Melton may not crack the Rays’ Opening Day roster next month. They have a crowded enough outfield situation as it is, he has Minor League options and they don’t want to put undue pressure on someone in his first spring camp with a new team. But they will give him every opportunity to show what he can do in Spring Training, and it seems inevitable he will play a role in the Majors at some point this year.
“Some of the first conversations I had with them [were] just come in, be yourself and let the cards fall,” Melton said. “Obviously they acquired me, and they saw something that they liked, so I think that's a really cool thing. It kind of frees me up to go out and be myself, and, like I said, just enjoy every day and make the most of it.”
Melton, a second-round pick out of Oregon State in the 2022 Draft, said he learned he’d been traded while he was driving home for Christmas. He was about 10 minutes into the three-hour drive to Medford, Ore., after finishing up a workout at Oregon State, when his Astros teammates started texting him.
Melton was on the phone with his wife, Maizy, and had to ask her: “Hey, did I get traded?”
“We felt like some stuff had been building up to that and heard some rumors and stuff, so I had her check while I was driving,” Melton recalled. “She's like, 'Yeah, you just got traded to Tampa.'
“I was thrilled. I mean, Houston's a great organization. They do a lot of things the right way, but to come to another organization that is looked at in the same light -- especially from the player development side -- I think, is really special, and it's a really cool opportunity. So I'm thrilled to be here.”
Melton made his MLB debut for the Astros last season on June 1 against the Rays in Houston, during which he picked up his first hit -- an infield single that Cash challenged. He played regularly for two weeks before he landed on the injured list with a sprained right ankle, then struggled in his return to the Majors.
Melton’s numbers in 32 games with the Astros won’t catch your attention, as he slashed just .157/.234/.186, and he ended up back in Triple-A for much of September. But he felt he made important changes during the final weeks of last season, cleaning up his approach and regaining some momentum heading into the offseason.
“I am, in a way, fortunate for how it went,” Melton said. “Obviously, we would have loved for it to go a little better, but using that as a learning tool, I think it's gonna be really important for my development this year.”
Putting it all together at the plate would make Melton an impactful player in every aspect of the game, considering what he can already do on the bases and in the outfield.
His speed has allowed him to be a prolific basestealer in the Minors, as he swiped 76 bases in 204 games from 2023-24. Defensively, his combination of range and route efficiency has impressed the Rays, who will give him a look in all three spots this spring.
And there’s no doubting his raw power. Just look up when he steps into the cage.
“Couldn't be more excited to have him in our camp,” Cash said. “His defense is really, really good. Then you watch him put a bat in his hand, and what he does in batting practice is impressive.”