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Outfield outcast has performance in Triple-A Royals fans begged of him at MLB level

He’s not saving his season, but one recent feat has Royals fans asking 'what if?'
ByOliver Vandervoort|
Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

When talking about recent Kansas City Royals players who have been more than a little frustrating, MJ Melendez would have to be right at the top of the list. He's one of those guys who had a ton of raw talent and hype, who cannot make it translate to success at the Major League level. However, earlier this week, he showed flashes of once again the kind of players KC fans would love to have on the big league club, if he could ever do the same sort of thing when playing in Kauffman Stadium.

Hitting just .083 in 60 at-bats for Kansas City, Melendez has spent most of his season in Triple-A Omaha. While his numbers down there haven't been totally eye-popping, they've certainly been closer to what the franchise was hoping he could do on the Major League roster.

Kansas City Royals farmhand MJ Melendez hits for cycle

In 98 games, MJ Melendez has slashed .256/.314/.489/.802 with 19 home runs, 57 RBI, and 18 stolen bases. But it was the fact that he hit for the cycle for the Royals' minor league team that will have fans wishing he could ever hit that level of success in the Majors.

Perhaps most impressive about the feat (the second accomplished by an Omaha Storm Chaser this year) is that he got the most difficult stuff out of the way first.

Melendez led off the bottom of the first inning with a triple, then blasted a solo home run in the third. In the fifth, Melendez added a single. In the seventh, his fifth at-bat of the day, he doubled to complete the fifth cycle in modern team history.

In the long run, it's a nice cherry on top of the sundae that has been a solid season for MJ Melendez as Omaha winds down its 2025 campaign. At the very least, it's a safe bet that he'll get one more chance to try those kinds of exploits for the Royals in spring training next year. It's just unfortunate he wasn't able to discover his stroke as a member of the big league team as they battle for the final Wild Card spot with just a couple weeks left in the season.

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