Rise of the Titanic: Ivan Melendez's ascent to stardom and what comes next

The 2022 MLB Draft begins Sunday, and waiting to hear his name will be El Paso's Ivan Melendez. A 2018 graduate of Coronado High School, Melendez spent two years at Odessa College before transferring to the University of Texas. In two seasons with the Longhorns, Melendez established himself as one of the best players in college baseball.

Here is a look at how Melendez, known as the "Hispanic Titanic" rose to prominence from junior college to star at the University of Texas.

Odessa College: Something to prove

2018-19: Melendez dominated in the batter's box as a freshman, batting .411 overall and .453 in conference play for the Wranglers. He also recorded 17 home runs, 70 RBI and an .896 slugging percentage in 163 at bats. In March 2019, Melendez was named WJCAC Baseball Player of the Week after hitting .500 for the week with three home runs, a triple, 11 RBI and five runs scored.

His performance as third baseman in 50 games throughout the season earned him NJCAA All-American honors, and he was named to both first-team All-Region and first-team All-Conference. The Wranglers finished the season with a 38-22 record after falling in the semifinals of the Region V Tournament.

2019-20: Before COVID-19 cut the season short, Melendez hit .354 in 79 at bats, with seven doubles, three triples and four home runs. He had 22 RBI in addition to scoring 21 runs. Odessa College was 21-2 when the season was cancelled as Melendez became a prospect colleges wanted to know more about.

Texas: A star emerges

2020-21: In his first season as a Longhorn, Melendez quickly became a force in Division I baseball. He started 58 of the 59 games he appeared in and recorded 13 home runs, 13 doubles, three triples, 51 RBI and 38 runs scored during that time. His .319 batting average and .603 slugging percentage led the team.

Eight of Melendez's home runs came during April 2021, when he delivered several of his best performances of the season. Over the month, Melendez hit .412 with 27 RBI and 16 runs scored; Texas won 17 of its 19 games that month, falling only to No. 24 Oklahoma State and No. 11 Texas Tech. During a particularly hot streak from April 3-11, Melendez set a program record with a six-game home run streak — including two against Kansas State on April 11 — and was named NCBWA Hitter of the Week. He later earned First Team All Big-12 Designated Hitter honors.

Even so, Melendez's most memorable play came at the end of June, when he hit a ninth-inning go-ahead home run to defeat Mississippi State and keep the Longhorns alive in the College World Series. Melendez decided to test the professional waters and was picked by the Miami Marlins in the 16th round of the 2021 MLB Draft as the 479th overall pick. He later announced via his personal Twitter that he would be returning to Texas for the 2022 season instead of signing to begin his professional career.

The decision gave Melendez an extra year of development in college and exemplified his family's emphasis on the importance of academics.

"My wife and I, as parents, told [Ivan] what was the best interest because at the end of the day, [athletes] need their education," said Raul, Melendez's father. "In pro sports, you see it time and time again, the window is so short. Any given day, something wrong can happen and you always need to be able to fall on your education."

Texas: Collecting the hardware

2021-22: Crushing many of his stats from the previous year, Melendez established himself as one of — if not the best — offensive players in the NCAA. He finished the season as the nation's leader in home runs, with 32, which was not only a Texas program record but also a national record in the BBCOR bat era. Melendez's 94 RBI, 214 total bases and .863 slugging percentage were also the best in the country.

He was among the top 10 in the nation in hits (96), runs scored (75) and on base percentage (.508). For the second consecutive year, Melendez led the team in batting average, hitting .387 over 67 games and 248 at bats. Between April 24 and June 1, his batting average never dipped below .400, which helped him solidify a .421 average in conference play. After leading the Big-12 in six offensive categories, Melendez was named the Big 12 Player of the Year.

The accolade was one of many for Melendez, who led the Longhorns to the College World Series for the second consecutive year. In addition to being a consensus All-American, Melendez was named the Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year, D1 Baseball Player of the Year, ABCA Player of the Year, Perfect Game Player of the Year, Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger of the Year and Baseball America Player of the Year.

Last month, Melendez also won the prestigious Dick Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes award. The latter honors the top amateur baseball player in the United States based not only athletic ability, but also character, sportsmanship and contribution to baseball. The El Paso City Council voted to recognize July 2022 as Ivan Melendez Month in honor of the El Pasoan's accomplishments.

The MLB Draft: Where will Melendez land?

Following his historic offensive performance this season, Melendez is predicted to be drafted far ahead of his 16th-round pick last summer. However, despite his rise to fame as the best slugger in college baseball, there is little talk of him being picked in the first round. In a recent top 500 prospect list by Baseball America, Melendez is listed as 51st. The MLB lists him at No. 99 amongst draft prospects.

While Melendez has attracted attention for his offensive dominance, his defense has been less praised. He was limited to playing first base at Texas, and some question whether MLB teams will risk drafting a pure first baseman early on.

However, what has made Melendez stand out throughout his career — aside from his batting abilities — is his work ethic and dedication to the game, according to his high school coach, Juan Orozco.

"Those guys that have abilities and keep working hard, those are the guys that get to the next level," Orozco said. "And [Ivan] has that in him. Ivan probably outworked a bunch of guys who were mediocre — he worked twice as hard as those guys. He always tried to make himself better, and he's still doing the same thing."

A number of teams have been suggested as potential homes for Menendez. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Seattle Mariners may seek Melendez's offensive power between the second and fourth rounds. The Athletic's Melissa Lockard proposed Melendez may take his talent to the San Francisco Giants, where she foresees a first base position opening up in the "near future."

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Coronado grad, Texas star Ivan Melendez rises to be a superstar