3 KC Royals who are no longer worth defending

If the Kansas City Royals clubhouse believes they should be performing better, they should seek feedback from a fan on the street. Kansas City fans have desperately craved competitive baseball since winning that coveted World Series championship back in 2015. But some inept drafting and failed investments have kept winning out of Kauffman Stadium. Now, after reaching the ALDS last season, there are playoff expectations once again among the Royals faithful. But if fans want winning to become the expectation once again, it's difficult to root for these three players.

MJ Melendez, OF

There may be no position player that Royals fans dislike more right now than outfielder MJ Melendez. The former catcher has had the exact wrong career trajectory for any professional, sports or not. In his debut season in 2022, he showed signs of optimism with a career-high 18 home runs and 0.5 bWAR. Fans voiced their opinions but suffered through the growing pains of him moving from catcher to the outfield and all the defensive miscues, thanks to some advancements at the plate.

But 2024 was more of the same struggles yet more playing time. The fanbase agreed on few things this offseason, but the near-consensus hope was that Melendez was not a starting outfielder on Opening Day for Kansas City. He was that in 2025, and then some. The experiment, in its current form, has to end now.

Sure, he made notable changes to his swing this offseason. The numbers prove it. But the numbers also prove that those changes haven't improved the results. The lefty's slash line is by far the worst in Kansas City, sitting at .085/.173/.170 as of Apr. 16. That is saying something considering Kansas City's run-scoring woes to start the 2025 season. He did give fans a glimmer of hope with his first home run and RBI in Yankee Stadium, but the -1 wRC+ is a stark shock back to reality for any fan.

What else can be said that hasn't already been said? A demotion to Omaha feels like the more merciful move at this point. Let the lefty again find some of that mojo that saw him swat 41 home runs those years ago. Put him in Werner Park where the outfield has to be easier to navigate than Kauffman Stadium's vast greenery. Melendez has had this reputation for a while now, where fans genuinely want to see him do well and be a smiling fixture alongside Witt.

When he has those shining moments, the hot stretches, or the highlight plays, they are boastfully celebrated. Fans want to see that from Melendez. Give him the time and space to prove himself again on the field, and fans will be quick to call for his return. But that requires Melendez righting the ship and forcing his way back into the major league picture.