Quote:
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut
There's plenty of raw talent in Melendez. If the Royals (or someone else) can unlock it, they'll have a heck of a player on their hands.
His batted ball numbers are good even at the big league level. He strikes the ball well and he does it often. But he has a hole in his zone and he chases too much crap. So he can't put that raw power to use.
I feel like the approach issues may be hard to get around but there has to be a mechanical change that can keep him from swinging through as many hittable pitches as he does. There's a lot to like in there but it's just not working.
Hell, send him to Driveline or something. Have someone outside the organization work with him to see if they can untangle a hitch in his swing or something. That's the kind of guy a team like the Royals should be looking to acquire/repair but it doesn't do them any good if they can't diagnose/develop the guys from within their own system first.
He's a canary in the coalmine to me. If the Royals can't figure out how to make a productive big league hitter out of Melendez, they need to make changes to their staff to address that. He's exactly the kind of player they need to be developing into a difference maker. They just can't afford to let players with his tools plateau and/or regress.
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Looks like MJ heard me pumping his tires...
I absolutely believe he can play. Or at the very least, that he can HIT. He may ultimately not have much of a home defensively (though the athleticism is there to be an adequate OFer; Jordan Walker has that as well and I'd have his ass playing C on a slow-pitch softball team - sometimes athleticism ain't enough).
But the bat will play.