MJ Melendez reflects on slow start with Royals: ‘I know (results) will come’
Kansas City Royals outfielder MJ Melendez has heard the outside noise.
And he knows what the numbers say.
Melendez, who is in his fourth season with the Royals, understands what is at stake. As a homegrown talent, there is a fine line between potential and tangible production.
The Royals have seen Melendez at his best. He recorded 41 home runs and 103 RBIs across two minor league levels in 2021. In the majors, Melendez has played well in spurts as his numbers against the Boston Red Sox attest.
However, Melendez has spent far too much time at his worst.
After Friday’s game, Melendez was hitting .063 (1-for-16) this season. He went 1-for-3 in an 8-1 defeat Saturday, with a walk, to raise his batting average above the .100 line.
It’s a slow start at an inopportune time as the Royals are looking to compete for the American League Central crown.
“Obviously, I would’ve liked to (have) gotten off to a great start,” Melendez said before Saturday’s game. “But honestly, it’s not how you start but how you finish. The best year I ever had in pro ball, I started off like 2-for-30-something. I’m not too worried about it. I know it will come and I’ve just got to stick with the process every day.”
Melendez has a positive mindset. He admitted baseball has a humbling nature and negativity can be cumbersome. It’s why he made slight changes to his routine to better prepare himself for each game.
“I started working with a mental performance coach,” Melendez said. “That’s definitely something that I’m excited about and something that can kind of help me propel in the right direction and get me to where I want to be at.”
Additionally, Melendez has leaned on his family and teammates.
“One thing I’ll never do is stop working hard,” Melendez said. “Never quit. So, I mean, I really only care about the people that are close to me. … It’s just all outside noise. Obviously, I love the people that support me and stuff. I get all the love from fans and stuff and I do love that. But any outside noise or negativity, I just filter that out. It doesn’t really matter to me.”
Much has been thrown at Melendez throughout his young career, including a position change and swing adjustments.
This offseason, Melendez worked to simplify his approach at the plate. He removed the high-leg kick and he re-positioned his hands. There is a smoother contact balance that allows him to drive the baseball to all fields.
The results were promising in spring training. He hit .241 with two home runs and eight RBIs in Cactus League play.
But the numbers haven’t been there in 2025. If there is one silver lining, Melendez hopes Friday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles was a significant building block.
Melendez went 0-for-3 that day and scored a run against the Orioles. There weren’t any earth-shattering results but a possible sign of what’s to come.
“I feel like yesterday was a step in the right direction,” Melendez said. “Against (Orioles reliever Cionel) Perez, at the end, really helped my confidence as well. The hit by pitch and seeing a lot of pitches there, especially against a lefty, that probably was the most comfortable at-bat I’ve had the whole season.”
Royals manager Matt Quatraro agreed. He commended Melendez for making winning plays in the midst of his struggles.
“He’s been in like five games,” Quatraro said. “There’s nothing that we are overly concerned with. You are facing quality major-league pitching every night and it’s not going to always go smoothly. I mean, you look at that last at-bat he had, he has a nine-pitch at-bat and he prolongs the inning against a tough lefty. We end up scoring a bunch of runs, so that’s a major contribution to winning a big-league game.”
It seems like a small sample size, but the Royals need Melendez to produce within their lineup. He is a former second-round pick and has three years of control remaining before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2029.
The clock is ticking for improved results.
“Our job right now is just to help in any way we can and be supportive,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “We are not going to panic over these six games, you know, with what any one individual is or isn’t doing. It’s just too small of a sample to get worked up over anything.”
Melendez will get more chances to snap his cold spell.
On Saturday, he hit seventh and started in left field. The Royals got their first look at Orioles starter Tomoyuki Sugano after he arrived in free agency this winter.
“Yesterday, I don’t know, after the game, I felt like I went 3-for-3,” Melendez said Saturday. “I know I didn’t, I went 0-for-3, but that’s something for me that is a little bit different of a feeling. It just kind of happened and all those things I was working on those last couple of days, I felt like I saw an improvement. I felt an improvement in my attitude and my mood.”
Now, the Royals want to see more production. Melendez is among a few Royals who must find an offensive rhythm.
“MJ has the ability to be a really good player,” Picollo said. “They’re the ones that go home at night and are harder on themselves than anyone else. I think that is part of the game. Nobody needs to remind them of what’s going on.”
This story was originally published April 5, 2025 at 2:59 PM.
