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MJ Melendez Honored as the Double-A Central Player of the Month for July

August 4, 2021 - Texas League (TL)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release


SPRINGDALE, Ark - Minor League Baseball announced the Pitcher and Player of the Month honors for each of the respective Player Development Leagues and Naturals' catcher MJ Melendez took home July's Double-A Central Player of the Month award for his outstanding performance during the season's third month. It is the fourth league award for Melendez, who was named the Double-A Central Player of the Week for the weeks of June 30th through July 4th, July 13th through 18th and July 19th through 25th. In total, the Naturals have earned a combined eight weekly or monthly league awards thus far in 2021.

During his award-winning month, the Royals' second round selection (52nd overall) in the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of Miami, Florida hit .333 (36-for-108) and led the Double-A Central in runs scored (28), home runs (12), runs batted in (29) and total bases (80) while posting the second-best slugging percentage (.741) and OPS (1.152) in the league trailing only teammate Freddy Fermin.

His totals in runs scored, home runs and runs batted in led the Double-A level, while he led all of Minor League Baseball in total bases. Melendez reached base in 26 of the 27 games he played for the Naturals in during July and recorded 11 multi-hit games and did not go more than three games without a homer in July.

While putting together a stellar summer, Melendez set a Naturals single-month record with his 12 home runs, passing the 10 Jamie Romak had in July 2011. The 28 runs Melendez scored also set a Naturals record, one ahead of the 27 Dairon Blanco had this July and besting Kila Ka'aihue's 26 in July 2008. He tied a Naturals record with his 80 total bases, matching Balbino Fuenmayor's mark in May 2015. Melendez' 29 RBI are the 3rd-most ever in a month by a Naturals hitter, behind only Mike Moustakas' 32 in May 2010 and Ka'aihue's 31 in July of 2008.

It marks the second time this year a Naturals position player has won a league Player of the Month award, after first baseman Nick Pratto was named the Double-A Central Player of the Month in May.

Adrian Martinez of the San Antonio Missions (Double-A, San Diego Padres) was the Double-A Central's Pitcher of the Month. He went 4-0 with a 0.32 ERA in five starts allowing just 16 hits and one earned run, striking out 25 over 28.1 innings.

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