Major League Baseball second baseman Whit Merrifield of Florence, South Carolina has retired at the age of 36 according to Rogers Sportsnet on Tuesday. Merrifield has not played at the MLB level in 2025.
Who did Merrifield play for?
Merrifield has played for four Major League Baseball teams. He was with the Kansas City Royals from 2016 to 2021, the Toronto Blue Jays for two seasons in 2022 and 2023, and shared the 2024 season with the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves.
Three-time MLB All-Star
Merrifield was an American League All-Star thrice. He was honoured while with the Royals in 2019 and 2021, and the Blue Jays in 2023. In 2019, Merrifield led the Major Leagues in hits (206), and triples (10). In 2021, he led the majors in doubles (42), and sacrifice flies (40), and the American League in stolen bases (40).
Known for his hitting and speed
Merrifield also led the Major Leagues with 192 hits in 2018. He also led the American League with 34 stolen bases in 2017, and the Major Leagues with 45 stolen bases in 2018.
MLB Career Statistics
Merrifield batted .280 with 94 home runs and 485 runs batted in. During 1147 games, 4467 at bats, and 4866 plate appearances, he scored 632 runs and had 1249 hits, 256 doubles, 29 triples, 218 stolen bases, 315 walks, 1845 total bases, eight sacrifice bunts, 45 sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .328, and a slugging percentage of .413.
Apology to the Phillies fans
In announcing his Tuesday retirement, Merrifield actually apologized to Phillies fans. He stated, “sorry, I stunk for you.” Merrifield needs to be praised for his honesty. In 53 games last season. he only batted .199 with only 31 hits in 156 at bats. Merrifield was one point below the Mendoza Line, and was 81 percentage points lower than his career batting average.
Focus on Family
Whit’s wife Jordan gave birth to a child in March of 2024. He stated in order to be an excellent baseball player, the sport requires a lot of focus and energy. Whit’s focus now is on his child.
