Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Arm: 50 | Field: 40 | Overall: 45 

Melendez starred for two seasons at Odessa (Texas) JC before transferring to Texas in 2021, when he led the Longhorns with 13 homers, including a ninth-inning game winner off eventual national champion Mississippi State at the College World Series. Scouts viewed him as a one-tool player and his bonus expectations didn't line up with their evaluations, so he dropped to the Marlins in the 16th round and declined to sign. He has been phenomenal as a fourth-year junior, winning the Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur player in the country after hitting .387/.508/.863 and leading NCAA Division I in homers (a school-record 32), RBI (94), total bases (214) and slugging. 

With the strength in his 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame and an uphill right-handed swing, Melendez is geared to drive balls in the air and produces plus-plus raw power that plays from foul pole to foul pole. Though he topped Kris Bryant's previous record of 31 homers since the NCAA adopted BBCOR bat restrictions in 2011, he doesn't have standout bat speed, so there are some concerns about how he'll handle quality velocity against more advanced pitchers. He's doing a much better job of controlling the strike zone this spring and has improved his ability to do damage against breaking balls and changeups. 

Melendez still doesn't offer much value beyond his bat and a righty-hitting first baseman is the least attractive profile for pro teams. He's a well below-average runner with limited range and an average arm. He's an adequate defender at first base and his only other alternative is DH. 

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Arm: 50 | Field: 40 | Overall: 45

A junior-college transfer, Melendez joined Texas for the 2021 season and showed good power with 13 homers but only went in the 16th round to the Marlins that summer. After not signing, he put together one of the most powerful college seasons in recent memory with 32 homers (most in NCAA since BBCOR bat restrictions were adopted in 2011) and led Division I in total bases and slugging percentage on his way to winning the Golden Spikes Award. The D-backs took Melendez in the second round in 2022, and while some questions remain about the entire profile, he lived up to his reputation with 30 homers over just 96 games between High-A and Double-A in his first full season before finishing up with a stint in the Arizona Fall League.

The right-handed slugger has the natural strength for at least double-plus raw power, so much so that coaches have advised him he just needs to “tap the ball” to send it screaming around the ballpark. To wit, he topped out with a 115.5 mph exit velocity in the AFL; only Ketel Marte (117.1) had a higher EV among D-backs Major Leaguers in ’23. Melendez has an uphill swing that creates the loft needed for his high homer total, but that also creates major contact concerns. He had whiff and chase rates above 30 percent on every pitch type he saw at Double-A, including fastballs.

Melendez was primarily a first baseman at Texas, but the D-backs have held out hope for him at third base in the pros. He still needs a lot of work there due to below-average speed and range, and he still might be best at the cold corner or even DH.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Arm: 50 | Field: 40 | Overall: 45

Melendez translated two impressive seasons at Odessa (Texas) Junior College into a move to Texas in 2021, but even though he led the Longhorns with 13 homers that spring, he still dropped to the Marlins in the 16th round. He used his status as a fourth-year junior and won the Golden Spikes Award, leading Division I in homers (32, most in NCAA since BBCOR bat restrictions were adopted in 2011), total bases (214), slugging (.863) while managing a 51/52 K/BB ratio over 67 games. The D-backs selected him in the second round, signed him for below slot at $1.4 million and sent him for a 25-game spell at Single-A Visalia, where he tripped up some after a long spring and summer.

Melendez’s uphill right-handed swing is designed to drive the ball to all fields and let his natural strength do the rest. Adding to Melendez’s offensive promise is the way he improved his plate discipline in his final spring in Austin, and while the other numbers weren’t there, he still managed just an 18.9 percent K rate in his first taste of a full-season level. Concerns about bat speed may blunt his performance and make him an average overall hitter in the end.

A below-average runner, Melendez primarily played first base at Texas but got some looks at third in pro ball. While he can make plays on balls hit/thrown to him, his range is limited and should keep him at first base long-term. After the hiccup in the California League, Melendez will have to show his bat can carry a 1B/DH profile, but he has a recent history of proving himself at the right time.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Arm: 50 | Field: 40 | Overall: 50

Melendez starred for two seasons at Odessa JC (Texas) before transferring to Texas in 2021, when he led the Longhorns with 13 homers, including a ninth-inning game-winner off eventual national champion Mississippi State at the College World Series. Scouts viewed him as a one-tool player and his bonus expectations didn't line up with their evaluations, so he dropped to the Marlins in the 16th round and declined to sign. He was phenomenal as a fourth-year junior, winning the Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur player in the country after hitting .387/.508/.863 and leading NCAA Division I in homers (a school-record 32), RBIs (94), total bases (214) and slugging. Arizona selected Melendez in the second round and signed him below slot at $1.4 million.

With the strength in his 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame and an uphill right-handed swing, Melendez is geared to drive balls in the air, and he produces plus-plus raw power that plays from foul pole to foul pole. Though he topped Kris Bryant's previous record of 31 homers since the NCAA adopted BBCOR bat restrictions in 2011, he doesn't have standout bat speed and there are some concerns about how he'll handle quality velocity against more advanced pitchers. He did a much better job of controlling the strike zone this spring and has improved his ability to do damage against breaking balls and changeups. 

Melendez is a well-below-average runner with limited range and an average arm. He's an adequate defender at first base, and his only other alternative is DH. He’ll need to hit and hit often in the Arizona system, and he's heading to the pros with plenty of momentum at the plate.

Awards

MiLB.com Organization All-Star

Year	Team
2023

AFL Rising Stars

Year	Team
2023

NWL Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2023

NWL Player of the Week

Week	Team
06/25/2023

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	08/14/2024	Amarillo Sod Poodles activated 1B Ivan Melendez from the 7-day injured list.
	07/31/2024	Amarillo Sod Poodles placed 1B Ivan Melendez on the 7-day injured list.
	03/07/2024	Arizona D-backs Prospects activated 1B Ivan Melendez.
	02/01/2024	Arizona Diamondbacks invited non-roster 1B Ivan Melendez to spring training.
	11/03/2023	1B Ivan Melendez assigned to National League Fall Stars.
	09/29/2023	Amarillo Sod Poodles activated 1B Ivan Melendez.
	09/22/2023	Salt River Rafters activated 1B Ivan Melendez from the 7-day injured list.
	09/06/2023	Amarillo Sod Poodles placed 1B Ivan Melendez on the 7-day injured list.
	07/13/2023	1B Ivan Melendez assigned to Amarillo Sod Poodles from Hillsboro Hops.
	05/03/2023	Hillsboro Hops activated 1B Ivan Melendez from the 7-day injured list.
	04/22/2023	Hillsboro Hops placed 1B Ivan Melendez on the 7-day injured list.
	04/13/2023	1B Ivan Melendez assigned to Hillsboro Hops from Visalia Rawhide.
	04/06/2023	Visalia Rawhide placed 1B Ivan Melendez on the 7-day injured list.
	02/25/2023	1B Ivan Melendez roster status changed by Arizona Diamondbacks.
	02/25/2023	1B Ivan Melendez assigned to Arizona Diamondbacks.
	08/05/2022	1B Ivan Melendez assigned to Visalia Rawhide from ACL D-backs Red.
	08/05/2022	Visalia Rawhide activated 1B Ivan Melendez.
	08/01/2022	1B Ivan Melendez assigned to ACL D-backs Red from ACL D-backs Black.
	07/30/2022	1B Ivan Melendez assigned to ACL D-backs Black.
	07/26/2022	Arizona Diamondbacks signed 1B Ivan Melendez.
	06/11/2022	3B Ivan Melendez assigned to College Workout.
	03/01/2022	Texas Longhorns activated 1B Ivan Melendez.
	03/01/2022	3B Ivan Melendez assigned to Texas Longhorns.
	01/27/2021	3B Ivan Melendez assigned to Texas Longhorns.
	01/27/2021	3B Ivan Melendez assigned to Texas Longhorns.