MJ Melendez Produces Strong Results for Mets After Spring Training Demotion

MJ Melendez was in tears after a meeting with the manager near the end of spring training when he learned he would begin the season at Triple-A Syracuse rather than with the Mets. The outfielder said he had worked hard during spring training and was disappointed not to make the roster or play as much as expected in the WBC.

"I cried a lot that day, just because I know the work that I put in," Melendez said before going 0-for-4 in the Mets' 3-1, 10-inning win over the Diamondbacks on Friday night.

It did not take long for an opportunity to arise. The Mets recalled Melendez on April 15 when another player was placed on the injured list with a meniscus tear in his left knee. The recall allowed him to face right-handed pitching.

The results have been positive. 600 slash line with two home runs and six RBIs into Friday's game, emerging as one of the few Mets to produce consistently over the previous three weeks. Melendez, who is 27, spent much of the previous season at Triple-A.

167 slash line. He credits the Mets' hitting staff for the improvement this season. "The belief and self-confidence in myself, I have always had it," Melendez said. " The manager said Melendez has shown better strike-zone control than in previous seasons.

"The last couple of years, he chased a lot. But he’s not missing pitches in the strike zone, and he’s using the whole field," the manager said. Melendez has started in the outfield against right-handed pitchers, typically receiving two or three plate appearances before a defensive substitution.

He said he feels comfortable knowing he will be in the lineup against right-handed starters but is prepared to take on a larger role. "I believe in myself no matter who is on that mound," Melendez said. "Righty, lefty, ambidextrous.

At the end of the day, the ball has to come over the plate, no matter what, for it to be a strike. " On the day he was sent to the minors, Melendez said he relied on family support. "I was on the phone with my family a lot that day," he said.

"It was both my parents, my brother. It was definitely tough. I feel like I have gone through a lot of adversity the last year and a half. It’s nothing new.