3 KC Royals players who should have a reduced role in 2025, if not traded first

MJ Melendez, OF

Few players on the Royals’ 40-man roster are as polarizing as outfielder MJ Melendez. Fans remain divided — some see his potential, while others are frustrated by what he hasn’t delivered at the MLB level. While there were some positive takeaways from Melendez’s 2024 season, the message for 2025 is clear: Kansas City must lessen its reliance on the hope that Melendez will turn a corner he’s had three years to round.

Now 412 games into his Royals career, Melendez has faced plenty of roadblocks. Originally a catcher, he struggled mightily behind the plate during his 2022 debut season, though his career-high 18 home runs and 97 wRC+ provided promise offensively. With Pérez entrenched behind the plate, Melendez transitioned to the outfield in 2023, relying on his athleticism and work ethic to adapt. While he made strides defensively, his declining productivity at the plate frustrated fans. Entering 2024, Melendez’s season was pivotal for shaping how Royals fans — and the organization — viewed his MLB future.

Unfortunately, 2024 only worsened the situation.

Melendez posted career-worst numbers both offensively and defensively, ultimately hurting the Royals more than helping them. He recorded his second negative-fWAR season in three years, with a career-low 85 wRC+, .206 batting average, and .273 on-base percentage highlighting his struggles at the plate. While he initially showed defensive improvement in the outfield, costly errors and misreads down the stretch erased much of that goodwill. He ended the season as a below-average outfielder, once again.

If the Royals had a viable outfield prospect ready for MLB action or the resources to add one or two clear upgrades, Melendez’s future with the organization might already be in question. However, Kansas City has invested significant time, energy, and resources into his development and still hopes to make it work. That said, if the Royals aim to be viewed as legitimate playoff contenders in 2025, Melendez cannot be their Opening Day left fielder.

There are still reasons to keep Melendez around as a platoon bat or depth piece. For one, he was significantly better — though still average — against left-handed pitching in 2024. Manager Matt Quatraro’s penchant for leveraging matchups and utilizing pinch hitters could give Melendez a chance to thrive in a more specialized role, as he did with a clutch pinch-hit go-ahead home run against the Detroit Tigers this past season. Additionally, Melendez has a knack for extra-base hits. In fact, 50.6% of his hits in 2024 went for extra bases, the third-best rate in MLB behind AL MVP Aaron Judge (52.8%). While somewhat unsustainable, that stat underscores Melendez’s ability to deliver a jolt of power when he connects.

Melendez still has value to offer, but it must come in a more limited role. The Royals can no longer afford to hinge their outfield success on the hope of him becoming the everyday player they once envisioned.