In the last week of March 2022, Ivan Melendez was named Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week and Big 12 Conference Player of the Week for having one of the most productive weeks in college baseball.
Melendez is being recognized for a streak of going to the plate 13 consecutive times and reaching base each time. He ended the week batting .625. Melendez’ OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) was 2.152.
For comparison, here are the OPS for some of the greatest MLB hitters of all time, though not a fair comparison. These players are in the MLB and have played in at least 1000 games, but you can get a sense of how good Melendez is on the collegiate level.
- (1) Babe Ruth 1.164
- (11) Mickey Mantle 0.977
- (32) David Ortiz 0.931
- (35) Alex Rodriguez 0.930
- (37) Hank Aaron 0.928
- (45) Miguel Cabrera 0.920
- (186) Reggie Jackson 0.846
So far in his college career at Texas (2021,2022), Melendez has an OPS of 1.179
The 6’3” 225 lb Melendez plays first base, studies Corporate Communications at The University of Texas at Austin, Moody College of Communications, and has a swing that looks like The Natural.
For the 2022 season so, Melendez has been at the plate 97 times with 39 hits, 34 runs, nine doubles, 13 home runs, 38 RBI, and 24 base on balls.
Ivan Melendez off the field
Texas was playing in South Carolina in the middle of March. One of Melendez’s teammates, Trey Faltine, was being dropped off at the field by his mom, Mrs. Edith Faltine.
Mrs. Faltine noticed a homeless man approach Melendez and another player as they were walking to the baseball field for practice. Mrs. Faltine turned her car around and stopped at a distance just to make sure everything was going to be OK, as any mom or dad would do for the kids.
Mrs. Faltine notices the pair were having a conversation and Melendez pulled out his wallet and gives the gentlemen some money to help him out.
Ivan Melendez: outstanding baseball player, a real slugger, generous man, and servant leader.
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