Andrés Meléndez

Andres Elias Melendez

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 150 lb.

• Born May 21, 2001 in Barquisimeto, Lara Venezuela
• Died December 16, 2021 in Miami, FL USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Andres Melendez was a 20-year-old catching prospect for the Cleveland Guardians when he died suddenly in December of 2021.

Born in Venezuela, he was originally signed as an international amateur free agent by the Milwaukee Brewers on July 2, 2017, a few months after turning 16. One year later, in July of 2018, he began his professional career with the DSL Brewers hitting .290 in 41 games. By the end of that first season, he had made it to the U.S., playing 3 games with the AZL Brewers. Altogether, he batted .282/.362/.383 in 44 games. In 2019, he spent a full season in the Arizona League, with the AZL Brewers Gold, where he hit .250/.340/.352. he was still just 18 years old and in November was traded to the then-Cleveland Indians.

He was then one of a huge cohort of minor league players who were forced to sit out the 2020 season when the minor league season was cancelled by the Coronavirus pandemic, as he was not far enough advanced in his professional career to obtain one of the few invitations to work out at the Indians' alternate training site. He resumed his career a year later, in 2021, with the Lynchburg Hillcats of the Low-A East. He was the team's principal catcher, getting into 73 games and hitting .247/.367/.431, with 8 homers and 46 RBIs. He was still young for his level, and well-regarded within the organization. Given the difficult political and security situation in his native country, he was spending the off-season in Miami, FL where he died suddenly on December 16th. No cause of death was released.

Related Sites

• Announcement of his passing