Kansas City Royals: Whit Merrifield looking to be the next star
By Britt Zank
The Kansas City Royals lineup are beginning a retooling process this season, and one of the center pieces of that retool is Whit Merrifield.
In his short time in KC, Merrifield has proven to be the most dependable and consistent players of the next generation. In a season and a half with the Royals he’s had a .286 batting average, .324 on base percentage and .437 slugging percentage. In a full season last year he had 57 extra base hits including 19 home runs while also stealing 34 bases. For the sabermetric stat geeks out there, his WAR (wins above replacement) has been a solid 5.5 in two seasons.
The idea that Merrifield’s half a season success in 2016 was a fluke got put to bed after his 2017 campaign. He has solidified his spot in the starting lineup whether it’s at second base or in the outfield. So strong is his spot as a MLB starter that he was even rumored in trades this past off season along side the teams number one starting pitcher Danny Duffy.
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The Royals made the smart decision by not trading Merrifield. While they would have gotten some good return for a rising star in the league, he means more to the Royals. For a team that lost Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain while dealing with a $20 million question mark in Alex Gordon, the Royals desperately need a good player on the cheap. Don’t let his contract fool you though, Merrifield is becoming a star beyond his deal.
Merrifield has already become a star in KC quickly despite being late to the big leagues. Despite entering just his second full season in the big leagues, Merrifield is a 29 year old veteran of the pro game. He spent over five seasons in the minors after being drafted in the ninth round of the 2010 MLB Draft. Like Salvador Perez, he was never on any national top prospects list but like Perez when he got his shot he made the most of it.
He got called up to replace Omar Infante in 2016 and has not looked back. Despite being held in the minors to start last season, he dominated AAA and forced his way back to the big league roster where he has stayed. His return locked in him as a fan favorite in KC as well as one of the best players on a retooling team.
Whether you call him “Cool White” or “Two Hit Whit” he’s someone you want to watch when he comes to bat. He never gets cheated, going months last season before looking at a called third strike. He gets the clutch hits when the team needs it and is a threat to steal anytime he gets on base. Look around the stadium on opening day and you will see a lot of Merrifield number 15, and it’s only the beginning.
If you look at any fantasy baseball draft guides and opinions you’ll see Merrifield’s name pop as a top five second baseman. Google his name and you’ll see headlines like “looking for this year’s Whit Merrifield”. If Merrifield has another year like last year he will be in All Star game consideration and can be the corner stone of a young up and coming lineup.
I expect him to have a stat line close to last year. 50 extra base hits with 30 steals and a hitting line around .280/.330/.450. If he does that this Royals team will be better than a lot are expecting and Merrifield will become a star on the national level. Who knows, a hot start could even lead to a new nickname, “All Star Whit”.