Prep Baseball Report

PBR Draft 100 Spotlight: M.J. Melendez



By Nathan Rode
National Supervisor

The son of Mervyl Melendez, C M.J. Melendez (Westminster Christian Academy, FL) moved to Florida from Alabama when his dad took the head coach job at Florida International. He also subsequently switched his commitment from Alabama State to Florida International. Melendez is the best catching prospect in the country, with advanced defensive skills and very quick actions. He moves well behind the plate and has a good, quick exchange. His arm is strong and accurate and he can consistently rip off pop times below two seconds. He called his own game for his travel team last summer and pitchers like having him behind the plate. His bat lags behind his defense, but Melendez has continuously shown improvements at the plate and has some solid fundamentals to work with. His hands are loose and he generates good bat speed, while keeping the barrel in the zone.

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Scouting Report

04/18/17- FIU recruit.In his first at-bat, Melendez would show his present pull side power with a homerun over the right field wall. He has consistently shown the ability to pull the baseball with power and consistently hit the ball in the air hard. He has a strong lower half and a short quick swing with more power potential in it.

2/24/17- Melendez drove a home run to right field showing the pull side power that has continued to improve. He continues to show advanced actions behind the plate. Still has some length in the catch to release, but the transfer is extremely quick and has a very strong arm. Has a chance to be a day one pick come June.

10/23/16- Florida International recruit. He has advanced defensive tools, including a plus arm. His hands work and are consistently in better and better positions. He still needs to improve on the blocking skills, but shows enough athleticism to do so. He also showed his continued improvement offensively.

09/01/16 - Made USA 18U National Team.

06/28/16- Moved from Alabama to Florida when his dad (Mervyl Melendez) took the job at Florida International University. M.J. is now committed to FIU.

05/28/16- 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame. Melendez is one of the most impressive defensive catchers in the country. Showed flexibility behind the plate, advanced receiving skills and a very strong arm with a quick, clean transfer. Flashed a 1.89 pop time in game action. Left-handed hitter, very quick hands with some present power and a balanced approach.


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