Road to the Stros: Jacob Melton | Houston Astros 2025

Road to the Stros: Jacob Melton | Houston Astros 2025

[Music] Baseball means a lot to me. Not being from the biggest town, that small town atmosphere was something that kind of propelled me. I think just having the opportunity to to move on and play in college was the biggest thing for me. Jacob Melton hits it out. Jacob Melton. Wow. A couple decent seasons at Oregon State and then felt like professional baseball might be in the realm of possibilities for me. [Music] started playing obviously when I was very young. A super cool part of where I grew up. Uh at the time it was not the biggest uh baseball scene. Not being from the biggest town. Uh you kind of know everybody in the area. And I mean I played with the same group of guys from basically the time I was 8 until the time I graduated high school. Coming out of high school didn’t really have a ton of offers. I had a couple Jos and then a couple walk-ons. I think just having the opportunity to to move on and play in college was the biggest thing for me. Getting to the Jo that I ended up going to, we had some connections through my high school coach. My head coach at the time at my junior college was from the same hometown as me. Going there was only 10 miles down the road from Oregon State knowing I was going to be able to get on the field and play my freshman year. Head coach at the time had played at Oregon State as well. So, there was really a a good avenue to get down the road really where I wanted to be. Oregon State was my dream college growing up. It’s where I was going to go regardless of if I played baseball or not. My first fall at Oregon State, I was abysmal as a hitter. It took me quite a while to to make the adjustment coming from junior college to to there where the competition was definitely a lot better. There was a lot of adjustments that I needed to make and uh definitely reworked a lot of the swing and and stuff like that. Really, it was like a full deep dive learning process. It was basically another class I was taking at Oregon State just kind of learning about myself and learning about the swing. Only played six or seven games during the co year and then had to sit on that for a full season until 2021 came around. And here’s Jacob Melton tripled and now drives this to deep right field. Forget it so long. So going into that season, opening the year, wasn’t in the starting lineup and then eventually broke in there and had a pretty decent season and felt like I put myself in a position to really make an impact at Oregon State. Had a couple setbacks with the shoulder and had to end up shutting it down. But I think the group of people around me really allowed me to stay grounded. My girlfriend at the time and now wife and teammates really allowed me to enjoy the process and trust the recovery process. It was taking it one day at a time. The Oregon State baseball team looking ready to go. 2022 game opening day. Two breaking ball hammered to deep right field. Jacob Melton has just launched a grand slam. Melton again to right. Jacob Melton. So long again. Jacob Melton has hit three. Having a great group of guys around me in 2022. guys that I’ve been with for a few years at that time. It allowed me to play more free and not press for for results. Just be myself and go out and have fun every day. I really think that’s what led to the success that I had. Melton slashes it down the line and the Pack 12 player of the year calls game. I don’t really think the thought of playing professional baseball became real until probably 2021 or 2022. Uh had a couple decent seasons at Oregon State and then felt like that professional baseball might be in the realm of possibilities for me. With the 64th pick of the 2022 MLB draft, the Houston Astros select Jacob Melton, an outfielder from Oregon State University. I I mean, I don’t really think that I have the the greatest words to describe how I felt at the time. More so just excited for the opportunity. I didn’t know who it was going to be or when it was going to be. Definitely felt like I was ready for that for that adventure. Been really cool to see how I’ve progressed as a player making the adjustments that we need to make um offensively, defensively, base running. I feel like uh I’ve made big strides in in every part of my game since joining the organization. I think they’ve done a great job with the development for not only myself, but but everybody here. Definitely a far cry and not even the same person that I was just a couple years ago. So, it’s going out and being the best version of myself every day. Greetings from Dyken Park where today the Houston Astros wrap up a 4-ame series with the Tampa Bay Rays. We’re going to have a major league debut today. Jacob Melton had his contract selected today. Uh coming up from Triple A Sugarland and he’s in the lineup in center field this afternoon. Yeah, I mean I think there was a million different things racing through my mind at that time. Didn’t get a whole lot of sleep that that night before. So, I was coming in here a little tired, but super excited. Obviously, the adrenaline was starting to go as soon as I walked in the stadium. I don’t think it really set in until I got out on the field for the first time. Definitely took a little bit to soak everything in and kind of just get used to the atmosphere here. Obviously, Dykin’s a super special place to play and the crowds are amazing here. I mean, I think the the biggest thing was just trying to slow it all down. Um, it’s easy to get going a million miles an hour. Try to step back and and take a deep breath and really soak in the moment. The family scrambled to get here from all parts of the country for his debut. Go Jacob cuz you know his heart has to be a little bit racing right now. This one is knocked down by the second baseman. Lao safe at first base. [Applause] put that ball in play. Saw him saw him dive for it and I got about halfway down the line. I was like, I got a I got a chance here to to get a knock. So was fortunate to get the knock there, especially going to review. Uh had me sweating it a little bit. Uh definitely super cool and got to really soak that in with the the time waiting for the call there. That is the ball game. The Houston Astros shut out the Rays one to nothing and earn a split of this four game series. [Music] [Music] Yeah, I’m about as superstitious as it gets. Uh, the clothes go on in the same order every day. Got to tie the shoes in the same order. Everything has to be the same every day. Like to golf, not very good. Love hunting and fishing. I haven’t really found too much of that around here yet, but that’s definitely going to be on the agenda. Pregame artists, I would say probably Allison Chains. They’re my favorite favorite group. Using them as a walk up right now. So, uh, definitely a group I like a lot. [Music]

Growing up in a small town in Oregon, Jacob Melton has faced challenges at every level of his baseball career. After overcoming injuries to become the Pac-12 Player of the Year at Oregon State in 2022, Melton was drafted in the second round by the Astros. Heralded as a top prospect in the Astros system, Melton made his Major League debut on June 1st, 2025.

Road to the Stros is presented by Daikin.

Footage Courtesy – Melton Family, Oregon State Athletics

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Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig announced on January 19, 2000, that the 30 Major League Club owners voted unanimously to centralize all of Baseball’s Internet operations into an independent technology company. Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) was formed and charged with developing, building and managing the most comprehensive baseball experience available on the Internet. In August 2002, MLB.com streamed the first-ever live full length MLB game over the Internet when the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees faced off at Yankee Stadium. Since that time, millions of baseball fans around the world have subscribed to MLB.TV, the live video streaming product that airs every game in HD to nearly 400 different devices. MLB.com also provides an array of mobile apps for fans to choose from, including At Bat, the highest-grossing iOS sports app of all-time. MLB.com also provides fans with a stable of Club beat reporters and award-winning national columnists, the largest contingent of baseball reporters under one roof, that deliver over 100 original articles every day. MLB.com also offers extensive historical information and footage, online ticket sales, official baseball merchandise, authenticated memorabilia and collectibles and fantasy games.

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