Storm Chasers left fielder MJ Melendez delivered a two-run home run leading the team to a victory on Sunday.
The Omaha Storm Chasers defeated the St. Paul Saints 6-3 to close out a six-game series with a 3-3 split.
The Kansas City Royals drafted Melendez with the 52nd overall pick in the second round of the 2017 draft. He had been an everyday starter for the past three seasons before Kansas City sent him down to AAA on April 19. Through his first 16 with the Royals, this year Melendez hit just .085 with 20 strikeouts in 47 at-bats.
During the game on Sunday, Melendez went 2-4 with a two-run home run. Although he struck out once, he was able to hit one over the fence. He said that he was seeing it well his last time at the plate.
“They had kind of been attacking me somewhat similar this past week, and I was just trying to get on a fastball,” Melendez told Ana Bellinghausen. “I hadn’t seen many today and struck out on one the at-bat before. So just kind of trying to stay on that, and I was able to get one and drive it the other way.”
Melendez closed the St. Paul series in a strong fashion, blasting three home runs in the last two games. He said that working a lot with the coaches has helped him improve his swing.
“I’ve had a lot of adjustments,” Melendez said. “I’ve been working with Bijan (Rademacher), the hitting coach, here a lot. And about two and a half, three weeks ago, I guess now, we kind of found something that started to work and I’ve just been sticking with that and just trying to be as consistent as possible.”
As for what has been helping him stay motivated, he credits his family and his drive to keep playing the game.
“My family for sure and just my love for the game,” Melendez said. “Obviously going out there and competing every day is something that I love to do.”
Coming back down to the minor leagues has allowed Melendez to play with a number of different players, including 45-year-old Rich Hill. He said that it’s been a cool experience getting to play with the veteran pitcher.
“It’s awesome,” Melendez said. “I’ve faced him before, but that’s the first time I’ve seen him pitch and really kind of noticed a lot of things. He’s just an ultra-competitor. You can tell he’s out there grinding, he’s out there wanting to do the best. He’s cheering on the hitters in the dugout. Really awesome.”
Another player that he’s had the chance to see and play with is star outfielder Jac Caglianone. He said that it’s been a lot of fun getting to see the franchise’s top prospect develop.
“Just being able to see it every day on my team, it’s really impressive,” Melendez said. “He has a very, very bright future ahead of him.”
Coming back down to AAA has taught Melendez a lot of lessons, the biggest one being a test of his mental strength. He said that it’s definitely been challenging but has allowed him the opportunity to grow in several ways.
“Just really learning a lot,” Melendez said. “Really testing my faith and growing me closer to God as well. I feel like it’s been a big battle in terms of that. It’s kind of helped me a lot.”
As for his goals for the end of the season, Melendez does not want to put too much pressure on himself or look too far ahead. He’s taking it day by day and trying to find his purpose within the game again.
