‘Hispanic Titanic’ Ivan Melendez Has Day Two MLB Draft Potential
Ivan Melendez is preparing for his first ever trip to Omaha and the College World Series. The junior DH for the Texas Longhorns has played a big role in their successful 2021 season and now he hopes to get hot again as they prepare to face Mississippi State on Sunday evening.
After a terrific regular season which included one of the greatest hot streaks in recent memory (seven home runs in six consecutive games), Melendez has four hits in 18 at bats for Texas in the postseason. One of those hits was a solo home run against Southern. The former Coronado High School star is still batting cleanup for the Horns and he is ready for the College World Series.
In their latest Major League Baseball Draft prospect rankings, Baseball America listed Melendez 199th overall. He dropped 62 spots from he previous ranking just two weeks earlier, most likely due to his cold spell in the Austin Regionals and Super Regionals. On June 4th, BA sat down with the Hispanic Titanic and asked him to self evaluate his five tools in advance of the three day draft, which begins on July 11th.
Melendez, who pitched and played the infield at Coronado, injured his non-throwing shoulder his senior year playing football and then he had labrum surgery the following year. His pitching days ended following the surgery and instead, he became a corner infielder and DH. Since he has not played the field much at Texas, there will be some analysts who project Melendez to be a bat-only prospect as a pro. "Whenever I’m not DHing, I get the job done, whether it’s third or first," he told Baseball America. "But wherever I end up playing, or if whatever team I play for wants to put me out on the field, it’s truly up to them, but I’m always ready."
A lot can happen over the next few weeks as the Texas Longhorns attempt to win the College World Series. If the Hispanic Titanic can recapture the power stroke that he displayed earlier this season, his draft stock could once again shoot up.