MJ Melendez #70

Mervyl S. Meledez, Jr., resides in Miami, Fla., during the offseason...Graduated from Westminster Christian High School (Fla.), after transferring from his Alabama high school to play closer to his father, Mervyl, Sr., who is the head coach at Florida International University…batted .391 with eight home runs and 29 RBI as a senior...Ranked as the third-best catcher in the 2017 First-Year Player Draft, according to MLB.com.

2019

Spent the entire season with Wilmington (A+), playing in 110 games, which ranked third among Carolina League catchers...Named a Carolina League midseason All-Star, entering the game as a reserve...Threw out 36-of-60 would-be basestealers (60.0 percent)… his caught stealing total ranked fourth in the Carolina League, while he was the only catcher in the league to throw out better than 50 percent (min. 10 attempts). Hit his second professional grand slam on June 3 at Myrtle Beach, a go-ahead blast in the fifth inning of a 9-5 triumph...Entered the season at the club's No. 5 prospect, according to MLB.com Pipeline and No. 6, according to Baseball America.

2018

Played the full season with Lexington (A), earning coPlayer of the Year honors with Seuly Matias…also named a MiLB.com Organization All-Star and a South Atlantic League mid-season All-Star...Starting catcher for the South Division in the SAL All-Star Game, going 1-for-2 with a run scored...Ranked third in the league in triples (9), fourth in RBI (73), fifth in homers (19), total bases (206) and slugging (.492) and seventh in OPS (.814)...Named SAL Player of the Week on May 20, after going 10for-24 (.417) with a double, a triple, four homers and eight RBI over six games in the previous week...Collected 42 of his 54 extra-base hits against right-handed pitching, slugging .523...Recorded his first two   career multi-homer games on May 18 at West Virginia and on Aug. 28 vs. Augusta...in the May 18 game, he also established a career high with 10 total bases, collecting a double and two homers, going 3-for-5...Drove in a career-high six runs on May 21 vs. Rome, which included a three-run homer and a pair of RBI doubles...Entered the season as the No. 6 prospect in the Royals' minor league system, according to Baseball America. 

2017

Rated as the 13th-best prospect in the Arizona League by Baseball America, while playing for Surprise (Rookie)...Batted .262/.374/.417 (44-for-168) with eight doubles, three triples and four homers…reached safely in 41 of his 47 games, while he led Surprise in on-base percentage (min. 100 plate appearances), tied for the team lead in homers and ranked second in RBI.