The New York Mets have taken another step toward reshaping their roster ahead of the 2026 season, adding a player whose skill set brings flexibility and upside to the outfield mix. In a move that reflects both low risk and potential reward, the organization has agreed to terms with outfielder MJ Melendez on a one-year contract.
According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the deal guarantees Melendez $1.5 million for the upcoming season. In addition to the base salary, the contract reportedly includes up to $500,000 in performance-based incentives, giving the 27-year-old an opportunity to significantly boost his earnings if he can reestablish himself at the major league level.
For the Mets, the signing represents a calculated gamble on a player whose career has been defined by flashes of promise, stretches of inconsistency, and one particularly difficult recent season. Once viewed as one of the more intriguing young hitters in baseball, Melendez is now looking for a reset after a challenging 2025 campaign that raised questions about his long-term role in the majors.
Melendez’s most recent season was, by nearly any measure, a tough one. In 2025, he appeared in just 23 major league games and struggled mightily at the plate, recording a batting average of only .083. He managed just one home run during that brief stint, failing to find any kind of rhythm before being sent back to Triple-A. For a player who once projected as a middle-of-the-order threat, the numbers were jarring and underscored how far his stock had fallen in a short amount of time.
While his major league performance was alarming, Melendez did show signs of life in the minor leagues. Spending the bulk of the season in Triple-A, he was far more productive against that level of competition. Over the course of the year, he posted a slash line of .261/.323/.490, demonstrating a combination of power and athleticism that had once made him such a highly regarded prospect. He hit 20 home runs and stole 20 bases, showcasing the rare blend of pop and speed that still makes him intriguing to evaluators.
That contrast between his minor league success and major league struggles has been a recurring theme throughout Melendez’s career. From 2022 through 2024, he was a regular presence on the Kansas City Royals’ roster, appearing in at least 128 games in each of those three seasons. During that span, he consistently showed power, hitting no fewer than 16 home runs per year. However, despite the counting stats, his overall offensive impact remained somewhat underwhelming. He never posted a weighted runs created plus (wRC+) above 97, meaning he was consistently a slightly below-average hitter when compared to the rest of the league.
Those middling results were especially notable given the expectations that followed Melendez earlier in his career. Selected by the Royals in the second round of the 2017 MLB Draft with the 52nd overall pick, he quickly emerged as one of the organization’s most promising young players. A left-handed hitter with significant raw power, Melendez was seen as someone who could eventually anchor the lineup and provide run production at a premium position.
That belief reached its peak during the 2021 season, when Melendez delivered one of the most eye-catching performances in all of minor league baseball. Playing across multiple levels, he led the entire minor leagues with 41 home runs, a remarkable feat that vaulted him into national prominence. His breakout year earned him widespread recognition, and heading into 2022, MLB.com ranked him as the Royals’ second-best prospect, trailing only shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., one of the most highly touted prospects of the generation.
Melendez made his major league debut in 2022, arriving with considerable fanfare and the expectation that he would be a key piece of Kansas City’s future. At the time, he was still viewed primarily as a catcher, the position he had played throughout most of his development. However, the Royals soon found themselves facing a roster dilemma. With veteran Salvador Perez entrenched as the starting catcher and Freddy Fermin also in the picture, opportunities behind the plate were limited.
As a result, the organization made the decision to move Melendez out from behind the plate and into the outfield. Beginning in the 2023 season, he transitioned to playing left field on a full-time basis, a shift designed to keep his bat in the lineup while alleviating the logjam at catcher. The move also reflected the belief that Melendez’s offensive potential outweighed concerns about positional continuity.
At the time, Royals general manager J.J. Picollo explained the reasoning behind the transition in comments to MLB.com. He emphasized that the decision was not rooted in dissatisfaction with Melendez’s defensive abilities as a catcher, but rather in a desire to simplify his responsibilities and allow him to focus more fully on hitting.
“Catchers have an enormous amount on their plate when it comes to preparing for games,” Picollo said in May 2023. “There’s so much work that goes into managing pitchers, scouting reports, and game planning. By taking some of that off his mind and letting him concentrate on his offense, we felt it could really benefit him.”
Picollo also noted that the move created opportunities for other players while giving Melendez valuable experience at the major league level. With Fermin emerging as someone the organization believed in, shifting Melendez to the outfield allowed the Royals to maximize their roster flexibility without giving up on his development.
Despite those intentions, Melendez never fully found his footing. While there were stretches where his power showed up, the overall results fell short of expectations, and his struggles reached a breaking point in 2025. By the end of that season, it was clear that a change of scenery might be necessary for both the player and the organization.
That is where the Mets come in. For New York, Melendez represents a classic buy-low candidate: a former elite prospect with tangible tools who can be acquired without a long-term commitment. The one-year structure of the deal minimizes risk, while the incentive-laden nature of the contract provides motivation for the player to perform.
From a roster construction standpoint, Melendez also fits a specific need. His ability to play the outfield — combined with his background as a catcher — gives the Mets additional versatility, something teams increasingly value over the course of a long season. While it remains to be seen how much defensive flexibility the Mets will ask of him, simply having another left-handed bat with power potential adds depth to the lineup.
For Melendez, the upcoming season represents a pivotal moment in his career. At 27 years old, he is no longer a prospect living on projection alone. Instead, he is a player fighting to prove that he belongs in the majors and that the talent that once made him one of baseball’s most exciting young hitters has not disappeared.
A fresh start with a new organization could provide exactly what he needs. Free from the weight of expectations that followed him in Kansas City, Melendez will have the chance to redefine himself and carve out a role with the Mets. Whether that comes as a regular contributor, a platoon option, or a versatile depth piece remains uncertain, but the opportunity is there.
Ultimately, the Mets’ decision to sign MJ Melendez is emblematic of a broader strategy: identifying undervalued players with upside and giving them a platform to succeed. If Melendez can recapture even a portion of the power and confidence that once made him a top-100 prospect, the move could pay off handsomely. If not, the team can move on with minimal downside.
As the 2026 season approaches, all eyes will be on whether this change of scenery can spark a turnaround — and whether Melendez can finally turn long-standing potential into consistent production at the highest level.
