If there was one bright spot on Wednesday night, albeit an extremely dim one, it was MJ Melendez.
Melendez, a former top prospect and second-round pick by the Royals back in 2017, led all of minor league baseball with 41 home runs in 2021. He made his big league debut in 2022 and showed real promise: 18 homers, 66 walks, and an OPS+ sitting at the league average. He repeated that performance for two more seasons in Kansas City, tallying 33 more home runs.
Then came 2025. In 23 games, he posted a .083 batting average and a .321 OPS. A demotion to Triple-A that turned into a rest-of-the-year residency. Just like that, the former elite prospect was looking for a new home at 27 years old.
Enter the Mets, who signed him to a one-year, $1.5 million deal in February. The expectation was that Melendez would start the year in Syracuse and be available when the big league club needed him.
He was needed on Wednesday evening. With Juan Soto still out and Jared Young heading to the IL with a meniscus tear that will sideline him six to eight weeks, the Mets called Melendez up from Syracuse ahead of game three in Los Angeles. They fell flat on their faces once again, losing 8-2 as the Dodgers secured their sweep.
But Melendez, in his first big league game of 2026, against the Dodgers, against Shohei Ohtani, with the Mets mired in a seven-game losing streak and an offense that’s been borderline unwatchable, collected two hits – both doubles – and drove in a run.
His versatility alone makes him valuable. He can play both outfield corners and first base, and he’s an emergency catcher.
Is this the start of a redemption arc? It’s way too early to say. But the talent was always there, and sometimes a change of scenery, a new coaching staff, and a fresh start are all it takes. The Mets took a $1.5 million bet that they could unlock what Kansas City couldn’t. A multi-hit effort is a strong first impression. Let’s see where it goes.
