In code. It is programmed as a melee. We get Melee Mechanics. Most of our damage comes from melee buttons. We get healing for doing damage with Melee Abilities.
If it looks like a duck…
If it sounds like a duck…
Its probably a duck…
Comparing AP values alone isn’t a good metric for seeing how things have changed over time… There is a hidden aura on all specs that allow designers to fine tune spells for a specific spec. For instance you say CJL is 22.4% AP per tick which is true but the hidden aura for Mistweaver then increases CJL’s damage by 400%
https://www.wowdb.com/spells/137024-mistweaver-monk Link to hidden aura
There have been multiple times where blizzard has completely removed the aura and put it back into the base spell and vise versa
In BFA we had a hidden aura that increased all healing we did (from core spells/talents/azerite) by 40%
They baked that 40% directly into the spells going into shadowlands so
in BFA we had vivify doing 101 SP to the main target and then a 40% aura mod which took it to 141% of spell power
In shadowlands we have a 141 SP to main target and a 0% aura mod which takes it to 141% of spell power…
The same thing but how you get there isn’t from one singular metric
Another thing that changed over time is chi. Back in the day of Mop and WoD MW had chi and CJL could generate it while doing damage
Now CJL only does damage