Former Texas Baseball slugger Ivan Melendez is crushing MiLB pitching
Ivan Melendez is crushing it for the AA Amarillo Sod Poodles, and is making a strong case for another promotion.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Last summer, the Arizona Diamondbacks selected Longhorn slugger Ivan Melendez in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft.
Thirteen months, and a lot of homers later, Melendez is crushing it for the AA Amarillo Sod Poodles, and making a strong case for another promotion.
FOX 7 Austin's John Hygh caught up with Melendez in San Antonio.
JOHN HYGH: Alright, Ivan what an amazing year it's been for you. You're drafted last year by the Diamondbacks in the second round. You go tear it up in High A ball. Get promoted to AA. Tear it up there. Six home runs in your first seven games. Twelve in 25 games. Is this what you imagined?
IVAN MELENDEZ: No. Everything's kind of unexpected in pro ball. The competition is just like super hard. So, try to take it day by day. But when I was up in High A. I was just trying to do my job. I really wasn't like stat chasing.
JOHN HYGH: Has it been a whirlwind though for you? It's been quick that you're kind of on that fast track.
IVAN MELENDEZ: Yeah, there's no telling. In baseball anything can happen. I could be here today. And then maybe triple-a next week. Or who knows. You try to just take it day-by-day. As far as like the fast track. I don't look at it like that. I just try to produce. Because that's how you make it.
JOHN HYGH: You talk about producing. You definitely produced at Texas. You broke the single season record for home runs with 32. You led the nation. Took all the national player of the year awards. What do you take from your time at Texas that's helped you now?
IVAN MELENDEZ: I still feel like I'm there. It just feels like with the blink of an eye it went by so fast. You know as far as like my routine I learned like off the field on the field. What my coaches taught me, Tulo and my teammates.
JOHN HYGH: When you hit home runs. I notice you always do something like this when you're coming in. What did that come from?
IVAN MELENDEZ: I just point to the sky. It started at Texas. I didn't really like to do anything before that. The reason I chose 17 at Texas was for my grandpa, who passed away like before I was born. So I just kind of do that, like a memorable type thing after I hit home runs.
JOHN HYGH: Your nickname in college was the Hispanic titanic. I've always wondered. Do you like that name, and do you have a new one now that you're a pro?"
IVAN MELENDEZ: No, now with the Sod Poodles. They just call me the big Texan. It stuck. But I feel like every team I've gone to. The nickname's changed. But I think if you have a nickname it's a good thing. People like what you do. They call you certain things.
Melendez and his AA Sod Poodles are in San Antonio for the next six nights.