Whit Merrifield
| Whit Merrifield | |
|---|---|
| File:Whit Merrifield on June 6, 2016.jpg Merrifield with the Kansas City Royals in 2016 | |
| Second baseman / Outfielder | |
| Born: January 24, 1989 Florence, South Carolina, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 18, 2016, for the Kansas City Royals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 30, 2024, for the Atlanta Braves | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .280 |
| Home runs | 94 |
| Runs batted in | 485 |
| Stolen bases | 218 |
| Stats at Baseball ReferenceLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Managerial record at Baseball ReferenceLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Whitley David Merrifield (born January 24, 1989) is an American former professional baseball second baseman and outfielder who played nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, and Atlanta Braves. Merrifield was a three-time All-Star and led the American League in stolen bases three times.
Amateur career
[edit | edit source]Merrifield graduated from Davie County High School in Mocksville, North Carolina. He enrolled at the University of South Carolina and played college baseball for the South Carolina Gamecocks from 2008 to 2010. In 2008, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and in 2009 returned to the league to play with the Chatham Anglers.[1][2][3] In the second game of the championship series at the 2010 College World Series, Merrifield hit a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning to give South Carolina the championship.[4][5] In his three years at South Carolina, he played in 195 games and hit .329/.389/.489 with 27 home runs.[citation needed] In 2010, he set a Gamecocks record with a 26-game hitting streak.[6]
Professional career
[edit | edit source]Kansas City Royals
[edit | edit source]The Kansas City Royals selected Merrifield in the ninth round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft.[7] He signed with the Royals and made his professional debut that season with the Burlington Bees.[8][9] In 47 games he hit .253/.317/.409 with five home runs and 26 RBIs. In 2011, Merrifield played for the Wilmington Blue Rocks where he batted .262 with five home runs and 36 RBIS. In 2012, with both Wilmington and the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, he compiled a .258 batting average with nine home runs and 44 RBIs in 125 games between both teams. He spent 2013 with Northwest Arkansas where he batted .270/.319/.391 with three home runs and 43 RBIs in 94 games.[10]
Merrifield returned to Northwest Arkansas to start 2014 and was promoted to the Omaha Storm Chasers during the season.[11] In 120 games between the two clubs, he slashed .319/.371/.470 with eight home runs and 49 RBIs. In 2015, Merrifield played for Omaha where he posted a .265 batting average with five home runs and 38 RBIs in 135 games.[10] He returned to Omaha to start the 2016 season.
Merrifield made his major league debut with the Kansas City Royals on May 18, 2016, instantly batting in the top third of the lineup and soon taking the starting second baseman job from Omar Infante.[12] His first Major League hit came off of David Price.[13] On June 13, Merrifield hit both his first major league triple and home run against the Cleveland Indians. In early July 2016, a song and video tribute to Merrifield titled "Cool Whit" received coverage on local Kansas City radio and TV news.[14] He was optioned back to Omaha in July and recalled in September. In 69 games for Omaha he batted .266 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs, and in 81 games for Kansas City he compiled a .283 batting average with two home runs, 29 RBIs, and 22 doubles.[15]
Merrifield began the 2017 season with Omaha, but was recalled in April after nine games and spent the remainder of the season with Kansas City. With the Royals, he hit .288 in 145 games with 19 home runs and 78 RBIs. He also led the American League with 34 stolen bases, the fewest total for a league leader since Luis Aparicio led the AL with 31 in 1962.[16] In 2018, Merrifield hit .304/.367/.438 and led the majors in hits (192) and stolen bases (45).[17]
In 2019, Merrifield batted .302/.348/.463 and led the major leagues in games (162), at bats (681), singles (139), triples (10), and line drive percentage (28.2%), while stealing 20 bases and leading the majors in caught stealing (10).[18][19]
Overall with the 2020 Kansas City Royals in the Covid-shortened season, Merrifield batted .282 with nine home runs and 30 RBIs in 60 games.[20]
In 2021, Merrifield hit .277/.317/.395 with 10 home runs and 74 RBIs. He tied for the MLB lead with 42 doubles, and led the American League with 40 steals. He also tied for the major league lead in sacrifice flies, with 12.[21] On defense, he led all major league second basemen with 283 putouts, 103 double plays and a 4.77 range factor. He won a Fielding Bible Award for his defensive excellence.[22] Merrifield played in a franchise-record 553 consecutive games for the Royals between June 2018 and July 2022.[23]
Toronto Blue Jays
[edit | edit source]On August 2, 2022, Merrifield was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for Max Castillo and Samad Taylor.[24] He was among ten Royals players who were in violation of Canada's COVID-19 vaccination requirement and unable to travel to Toronto for a four-game weekend series right before the All-Star break two weeks earlier in July.[25] On August 4, 2022, Merrifield announced that he was now vaccinated and would be able to play in the team's first game in Toronto since being acquired.[26]
In 2022 he batted .250/.298/.375 in 550 plate appearances, and was the only qualified batter in the major leagues who was not hit by a pitch all year.[27] He became a free agent following the 2023 season.
Philadelphia Phillies
[edit | edit source]On February 19, 2024, Merrifield signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.[28] In 53 games with the team, Merrifield struggled offensively, batting .199/.277/.295. He was released by the Phillies on July 12.[29]
Atlanta Braves
[edit | edit source]On July 22, 2024, Merrifield signed a major league contract with the Atlanta Braves.[30] On September 7, Merrifield was diagnosed with a fractured left foot, and was sidelined for a short amount of time but not placed on the injured list.[31] In 42 appearances for Atlanta, he batted .248/.348/.336 with one home run, four RBI, and six stolen bases.
On June 24, 2025, Merrifield announced his retirement from professional baseball via social media.[32]
International career
[edit | edit source]On September 10, 2018, he was selected by the MLB All-Stars at 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series.[33]
Personal life
[edit | edit source]Merrifield married his wife, Jordan Michael, on December 28, 2019.[34]
Merrifield's father, Bill, played college baseball for Wake Forest University,[35] and spent six seasons in Minor League Baseball, primarily as a third baseman.[36] In September 1987, Bill Merrifield was briefly on the active roster of the Pittsburgh Pirates, but was sent to the Florida Instructional League without making an MLB appearance,[37] rendering him a phantom ballplayer.[38][39]
Merrifield actively co-runs the 6ix Inning Podcast, which he created with sports reporter Lindsay Dunn. The show discusses MLB news with a primary focus on the Toronto Blue Jays.
See also
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- List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
- List of University of South Carolina people
- Major League Baseball consecutive games played streaks
References
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External links
[edit | edit source]
- Career statistics from MLB · ESPN · Baseball Reference · Fangraphs · Baseball Reference (Minors) · Retrosheet
- South Carolina Gamecocks bio Archived October 12, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
- Whit Merrifield on TwitterLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).Lua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- Whit Merrifield on InstagramLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- 1989 births
- Living people
- American League All-Stars
- American League stolen base champions
- Atlanta Braves players
- Baseball players from Florence County, South Carolina
- Baseball players from North Carolina
- Burlington Bees players
- Chatham Anglers players
- Kansas City Royals players
- Major League Baseball second basemen
- Major League Baseball utility players
- Northwest Arkansas Naturals players
- Omaha Storm Chasers players
- People from Florence, South Carolina
- People from Mocksville, North Carolina
- Philadelphia Phillies players
- South Carolina Gamecocks baseball players
- Surprise Saguaros players
- Toronto Blue Jays players
- Wilmington Blue Rocks players
- Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox players