Texas Star Ivan Melendez Gets Drafted By Marlins in 16th Round

The Hispanic Titanic could be sailing into South Beach in a few years. Ivan Melendez, the former Coronado High School star, who slugged his way into infamy at the University of Texas, was drafted in the 16th round (479th overall) by the Miami Marlins today. Now the question becomes whether or not he will pass up his final year with the Longhorns to play pro ball.

As a redshirt sophomore this past season, Melendez hit .319 with 13 HRs and 51 RBIs. Baseball America had him listed as a Top 200 overall prospect entering the draft, but instead of being a day one or two choice, he fell all the way to day three of the MLB Draft.

My gut feeling is that Melendez returns to Austin in 2022. Unless Miami offers a sweet six figure deal, Melendez will most likely get a chance to play the field next season for UT and probably spend most of his time at first or third base. The fact that he was almost exclusively a Designated Hitter for the Horns this season was a big reason why he fell to the 16th round of the MLB Draft. If he can show the ability to play good defense at a corner infield spot and continue to destroy college pitching, the Melendez could easily vault himself to a top 100 overall player next season.