Former San Diego Padres closer Mark Melancon last played in MLB in 2022. But he’s found his next gig not too far from the friendly confines of Petco Park.
Melancon has joined the San Diego State Aztec’s coaching staff as a pitching development coordinator, the school announced on Tuesday.
Sending out a huge Aztec welcome to former MLB All-Star reliever @Mark_Melancon_ , who joins our staff as pitching development coordinator. Excited to have you on board, Coach!! #GoAztecs
📰 Story: https://t.co/scyHztCW86 pic.twitter.com/jNuq9FJHqx
— San Diego State Baseball (@AztecBaseball) October 8, 2024
The 39-year-old had a lengthy MLB career that spanned 14 seasons and included four All-Star Game appearances.
Melancon was drafted by the New York Yankees in 2006 and finally got called up to the majors during the 2009 season. But after brief stints with the Yankees, Houston Astros, and Boston Red Sox, Melancon eventually found a home with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
From 2013 to 2016, Melancon earned three All-Star nods as a Pirate and even won over a few Cy Young voters in 2015.
After getting traded to the Washington Nationals midway through the 2016 season, Melancon got a massive payday from the San Francisco Giants.
Melancon played two full seasons with the Giants before getting traded to the Atlanta Braves in 2019. His most memorable moment with the Braves arguably came away from the mound when Melancon caught an Ozzie Albies home run in back-to-back games during the 2020 NLCS.
Melancon had a resurgent campaign with the Padres in 2021. That year, the right-hander had a 2.23 ERA with an MLB-best 39 saves across 64.2 innings pitched. He last played for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2022.
Melancon played for nine different teams and pitched in several high-leverage spots throughout his career. The man clearly has a world of experience to share to young pitchers at San Diego State.
