SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- By virtue of spending his 2023 regular season between High-A and Double-A, Ivan Melendez’s impressive exit velocities were merely an approximate. During his stint in the Fall League with Salt River, the D-backs’ No. 8 prospect has home contests equipped with Statcast technology, bearing true what perception made obvious: Melendez hammers the ball when he makes contact.

A schedule quirk means that the Rafters will spend the first half of their fall schedule playing all of their games at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick (the lone Fall League ballpark equipped with Statcast), giving a comprehensive look at Melendez’s work out of the gate. Of the eight hardest-hit balls that have gone for hits, the corner infielder has three of them, including his two-RBI double in the club’s 9-3 win Tuesday night, which came off the bat at a ringing 105.7 mph.

Just a day prior, Melendez walloped a drive to straightaway center that traveled 408 feet with a 37-degree launch angle … only for it to land in the center fielder’s glove. It would have been a home run in 18 of the 30 Major League ballparks.

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“I'm like, ‘Man, knowing my luck,’” Melendez said of the drive. “If I hit it well, yeah, I'll try to see the exit velocity or the [launch angle] degree.

“It's more [about getting info on] the pitches. I want to see if [the pitcher’s] ball is carrying or what his ball does.”

After a tepid pro debut in 2022 after being selected with the 43rd overall pick out of Texas, Melendez’s considerable pop erupted on the scene this year. The 2022 Golden Spikes Award winner slugged just .368 at Single-A Visalia, but tore the cover off the ball with both High-A Hillsboro (.923 OPS in 58 games) and Double-A Amarillo (12 homers in 38 games).

During the course of a season (most often operating in six-game sets), Minor League batters are equipped with considerable intel about opposing pitchers -- who will start, who will be used in key spots out of the bullpen. But that all goes out the window in the Fall League. Arms range from Single-A hurlers all the way up to those who have already had stints in the big leagues, making it a veritable game of see ball, hit ball.

Through six games with the Rafters, Melendez has put five balls in play in excess of 104 mph. The 23-year-old has collected a pair of doubles and five RBIs, in addition to drawing five walks, which has run his on-base percentage up to .357. But he has also whiffed 11 times.

“I think just going about it differently -- changing my habits, my routine, pregame routine,” Melendez said of how he has adapted. “[I’m] seeing some velo off the machine. I think it's beneficial because out here, you see [95, 98 mph] all the time.”

The harder the ball comes in, the harder it often goes out, especially when there’s plus power coiled up. Among all qualified batters across the D-backs’ system in 2023, Melendez led the way with a 139 wRC+ and .306 ISO. His bat -- and more specifically his power -- remains his carrying tool.

“I don't really think of it as like, ‘Oh, I'm a power guy,’” Melendez said during Fall League media day earlier this month. “I just know that I have some size and some strength behind my swing, so I could get away with a little bit more than some guys. But I just try to keep it simple. I just try to tap the ball just because that's what I’ve been told by my coaches from the past: ‘You don't [have] to do too much. Just tap the ball.’ You know, find that sweet spot and catch it.”

One of just 14 Minor Leaguers to hit 30 homers this season, Melendez’s offensive profile portends to have him manning spots that traditionally deliver thump: first and third base. After playing primarily first in college, the 6-foot-3, 225-pounder has gotten extended looks at the hot corner at each stop through Arizona’s system thus far, which now includes the Fall League.

“With the D-backs, they like guys playing a different position just because it adds value,” Melendez said. “And obviously they're big on, if you swing it, then they'll find a position for you. So I think it's very beneficial playing different positions, it opens a lot of doors.”