The New York Mets have signed outfielder Melendez to a one-year major league contract.

MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reported on February 9 that outfielder MJ Melendez has reached a one-year agreement with the New York Mets, pending a physical. Insider Jon Heyman of MLB Network revealed the contract is worth $1.5 million plus $500,000 in incentives, though the team has yet to officially confirm this.

A former top 100 prospect, 27-year-old Melendez will look to rebound in the 2026 season after spending most of last year in the Kansas City Royals’ minor league system.

This left-handed power hitter has yet to fulfill the potential many saw during the Royals’ rebuild phase. Despite possessing strong power and an elite throwing arm, he has struggled to deliver consistent performance throughout his over three-year major league career, which led the Royals to not offer him a contract for the 2026 season.

After being sent down to the minors in April last year, Melendez appeared in only seven major league games for the remainder of the 2025 season. In a total of 23 games, he posted a batting average of just .083 with one home run and an OPS of 0.321. However, at Triple-A Omaha, he hit 20 home runs over 107 games with an OPS of 0.813.

Although he has shown occasional offensive flashes—such as 13 career three-hit games—his major league career has been hampered by inconsistency at the plate, evidenced by a high strikeout rate of 26.5%. Still, his career hard-hit rate of 46.2% significantly exceeds the league average of 37%, indicating he remains a potent offensive threat.

Melendez’s best season came in his 2022 rookie year when he primarily played catcher, hitting 18 home runs and driving in 62 runs over 129 games. Since 2023, he has not played catcher but maintains defensive versatility, capable of covering both corner outfield spots, serving as a designated hitter, and briefly playing first base.

Over his career so far, Melendez has compiled a batting line of .215/.297/.388 across 435 games, with a total of 52 home runs.