El Paso's Ivan Melendez drafted by Arizona Diamondbacks in second round of MLB Draft
El Paso's Ivan Melendez was drafted in the second round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday night.
The first baseman was the 43rd overall selection. Melendez, who attended Coronado High School where he was named All-State as a senior, is the first El Paso native to be drafted since 2019 when Darell Hernaiz was selected in the fifth round by the Baltimore Orioles.
Melendez, who was present at the draft in Los Angeles, played at the University of Texas the past two years after two seasons at Odessa College. In his first season with the Longhorns, he hit 13 home runs and drove in 51 runs in 58 starts, and was drafted in the 16th round of the MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins, but returned to college.
Melendez' parents, Raul and Julie and his two brothers Zack and Ian are Los Angeles with him and got to experience seeing him achieve his dream of being drafted. Hugs were shared all around when Melendez' name was called and no doubt his family was proud of Melendez, who became a household name in recent months.
"It was a beautiful moment for our entire family," Raul Melendez said on Monday morning. "Just seeing him have his name called was something special, it's something he worked for. But to actually be there and see it happen is something we will never forget as a family. Ivan had a great college season and then he had to get ready for the draft. He handled things well and now he's getting the chance to experience so much. He's going to the MLB Home Run Derby and the MLB All-Star Game in addition to other activities this week. We'll be here in Los Angeles for a few days. So much happened this past few months with what the team accomplished at Texas, what he accomplished and now getting ready for a professional career."
It turned out to be a wise move. Melendez responded with a school-record 32 home runs, drove in 94 runs and had an .863 slugging percentage in helping Texas return to the College World Series. The Longhorns also reached the CWS in Melendez' first year with the program.
"This is super special I've been dreaming about this since I was a little kid. It's a dream come true. I've been very fortunate and blessed to be in this situation," said Melendez after the draft on the MLB Network. "Hard works pays off and it's gonna show eventually."
By being drafted with the 43rd pick in the second round, the projected slot bonus is $1.8 million.
Melendez, who was an All-American selection while at Odessa College, earned several postseason awards this past season, including the Big 12 Player of the Year, the Golden Spikes Award and the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger of the Year. The El Paso City Council voted to recognize July 2022 as Ivan Melendez Month in honor of the El Pasoan's accomplishments.
"He earned it. It's a neat deal for him and his family and for El Paso. He responded with a great year at Texas. He did what he does and now he has a great opportunity in front of him," said Coronado baseball coach Juan Orozco, who coached Melendez in high school. "He has always worked hard and always had goals he wanted to reach."
Melendez is the sixth Coronado high school graduate drafted by a Major League Baseball team, joining Rocky Coppinger, Joe Coppinger, Todd Uzzell, John Morton and Sylvan Rothschild.
More: A look at Ivan Melendez https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/sports/college/2022/07/14/coronado-texas-baseball-ivan-melendez-rises-to-be-a-supersta
Felix F. Chavez may be reached at 915-546-6167; fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Ivan Melendez drafted by Arizona Diamondbacks in second round
