Kansas City Royals: Eight bold predictions for 2020 season

Bold Prediction No. 3: Whit Merrifield Leads the Majors in Hits for the Third Straight Season

In 2020, Royals presumptive center fielder Whit Merrifield has a chance to achieve a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki accomplished it: lead the majors* in hits for three consecutive seasons.

*Jose Altuve led the American League in hits in four straight seasons from 2014-2017, but only led the majors in 2014 and 2016.

Merrifield, 31, has had quite the interesting career. In 2017, his first full season, he slashed .288/.324/.460 as he popped career highs in home runs with 19 while adding 32 doubles while also swiping a league-leading 34 stolen bases.

He followed that up by leading the majors in hits with 192 and stolen bases with 45. His slugging percentage dipped, but he added more doubles, finishing with a career-high 43, as his batting average, on-base percentage, OPS and OPS+ all increased.

Last year, he made his first All-Star Game while increasing his hits total to 206. He also led the majors in triples with 10. His slugging percentage rose as did his OPS.

What makes the fact that Merrifield led all batters in hits the last two seasons while posting an above-average OPS is that he did it while moving around the diamond. He played 108 games at second base in 2018, but he also started 27 games in center field plus another eight at the corner outfield spots. Last season, he started 76 games at second while he began another 73 in the outfield: 53 times in right field, 16 times in center, and four times in left.

So, I don’t think changing his position will hurt his offensive productivity. Hopefully, with consistently playing the same position, it will boost his output. And with a lineup full of decent hitters (see Slide No. 2), Merrifield’s going to get pitches to his liking.

Put him down for another hits title.