Ivan Melendez

Ivan Melendez (born January 24, 2000), nicknamed "the Hispanic Titanic",^[1] is an American professional baseball infielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. He played college baseball for the Texas Longhorns, winning the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy in 2022.

Melendez grew up in El Paso, Texas, and attended Coronado High School.^[2] He spent two seasons playing college baseball at Odessa College, a junior college that competed in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), as a third baseman.^[3] During Melendez's freshman season at Odessa, he batted .411 with 17 home runs, 70 runs batted in (RBIs), and a .896 slugging percentage. He was named third-team NJCAA Division I All-American.^[4] Melendez's sophomore season was cut short due to COVID-19. However, during the shortened season, Melendez batted .354 with seven doubles, three triples and four homers.

In 2021, Melendez committed to the University of Texas at Austin to continue his college baseball career with the Texas Longhorns as a redshirt sophomore. During Melendez's first season at Texas, he hit .319 with 13 doubles, 3 triples, 13 home runs, and 51 RBIs.^[5] Melendez hit the go-ahead home run against Mississippi State in the College World Series.^[6] Melendez also earned 2021 First-Team All Big 12 Conference honors and the All-Tournament team for the College World Series.^[7][8]

After being selected in the 16th round of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft by the Miami Marlins, Melendez chose to return to Texas for his junior year.^[9][10] In 2022, Melendez hit .387 with 96 hits, 94 RBIs, and 32 home runs, which broke Kyle Russell's school record and Kris Bryant's national home run record since the BBCOR bats were introduced in 2011. Melendez won Big 12 Player of the Year and also won first team all-Big 12.^[11] Nationally, Melendez won the Golden Spikes Award,^[12] Dick Howser Trophy, and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper player of the year.^[13][14] Melendez was also awarded American Baseball Coaches Association First Team All-American.^[15]

The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Melendez in the second round, with the 43rd overall selection, of the 2022 MLB draft.^[16] He signed with the team for $1.4 million on July 23, 2022.^[17]

On June 23, 2023, while playing for the High–A Hillsboro Hops, Melendez hit for the cycle in a 10–6 loss to the Everett AquaSox. In doing so, he became the second player in franchise history to hit for the cycle, and the first to do so at home.^[18]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)