Merrifield was called up again and finished with 1.2 fWAR in only 81 games. I dont think well see him steal 40 bases ever again, but he could stay in that 10-20 range. [23] Merrifield played in a franchise-record 553 consecutive games for the Royals between June 2018 and July 2022. [31], Merrifield's father, Bill, played college baseball for Wake Forest University,[32] and spent six seasons in Minor League Baseball, primarily as a third baseman. 26 games in he hit a big .182/239/227. Whit Merrifield and his father, Bill, are amazed by the newfound fame of Whit's grandfather. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top [class$='button-menu--icon'] span{background-color:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ .evwvnJ{line-height:1.5;margin:0 auto 16px;max-width:470px;padding-left:0;position:relative;width:-webkit-fit-content;width:-moz-fit-content;width:fit-content;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item:focus a{outline:1px dotted #fff;}/*!sc*/ a{background-color:transparent;}/*!sc*/ Newest Toronto Blue Jay Whit Merrifield got a COVID-19 vaccine and can now play in his team's home games. .mHQYb .p-search__input--icon.close-icon:hover{cursor:pointer;}/*!sc*/ .evGxub{display:inline-block;width:48px;height:48px;border-radius:50%;-webkit-border-radius:50%;overflow:hidden;position:relative;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-open .header__nav-side .header__subnav__item,.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-open .header__nav-side .header__subnav__group-title{padding:14px 10px;}/*!sc*/ Im excited. @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-extrabold.woff2') format('woff2'),url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-extrabold.woff') format('woff');font-style:normal;font-weight:800;font-display:fallback;}/*!sc*/ KANSAS CITY, Mo. Hes 34, but hes only one year removed from a 3.6 bWAR season. @media (min-width:768px){.epHHrr{max-width:500px;}}/*!sc*/ He has previously played in MLB for the Kansas City Royals. 2021 Season. Merrifield, who made his major league debut with the Royals in 2016, is slated to be a free agent after next year. .ggWmAj{background:#ffffff;box-shadow:0 2px 4px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.2);max-height:64px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 16px;position:fixed;top:0;width:100%;z-index:2;}/*!sc*/ Do you have a sports website? Thats why his acquisition by the Blue Jays on Tuesday caught so many off guard, given the vaccine requirements to cross the Canada-U.S. border. The Royals opened their four-game series against the Blue Jays on Thursday in Toronto without 10 of their unvaccinated players, including Whit Merrifield. Whit Merrifield said last month he might be willing to get vaccinated against COVID-19 if it meant playing for a team in contention, even though he had refused to get the shot while playing for the last-place Kansas City Royals. The best insights from the ultimate insiders, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Aroldis Chapmans Royals career starts with weird injury at home, Red Sox trade for shortstop in latest offseason twist, Aroldis Chapman has new team after ugly Yankees ending, Daniel Jones needs to see big picture in Giants negotiations, Red-hot Jon Rahm no match for wind-swept Bay Hill: 'F--king hard', The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast, The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, Amazin' But True: A NY Mets Baseball Podcast, Gangs All Here: A NY Jets Football Podcast, Tom Sandoval breaks silence on Ariana Madix split amid cheating claims, Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave. My Blog. KC Royals rookie Whit Merrifield's 86-year-old grandfather has been an inspiration to Royals fans and players. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. Royals Rumblings - News for March 3, 2023. Next: wHIT Merrifield Helps Royals Revive Walking Dead Offense. He led the league in doubles (42) and stolen bases (40) last season, earning a second all-star nod. Given Merrifield's ability to play all over the infield and in the outfield, he has become one of the most desired players at the trade deadline. data-styled.g145[id="Styles__StickyHeaderContent-sc-1wye7kw-1"]{content:"jbYgiH,"}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .icon{display:inline-block;-webkit-align-self:center;-ms-flex-item-align:center;align-self:center;line-height:20px;}/*!sc*/ Players are running whenever possible, and sometimes when it doesnt look possible. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__logo--mlb img{margin:auto;}/*!sc*/ window.adobeAnalytics = {"reportingSuiteId":"mlbglobal08,mlbcom08","linkInternalFilters":"mlb"} @ KeeganMatheson. .bZhBFV img{max-width:220px;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav__item{color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-size:14px;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb .p-search__input{-webkit-appearance:none;position:relative;height:40px;font-family:'mlb-primary','Helvetica Neue','Helvetica','Arial', sans-serif;box-shadow:inset 0 1px 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.075);color:#000;font-size:16px;width:100%;min-width:250px;background-color:#ffffff;border:0px;border-radius:6px;padding:0.25rem 1rem;line-height:1.42857143;margin-bottom:2px;}/*!sc*/ Im not going to kick him when hes down, because I do know what Whit Merrifield has meant to our team, the great work that he does in this community and I just think it was a very poor choice of words., Moore later added, Its unfortunate, but we got to try to move on from it. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .icon-globe{margin-left:32px;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item--inner a,.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item--inner span{color:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__button.account--logged-in{height:56px;position:relative;overflow:hidden;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu--icon span:nth-child(2),.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu--icon span:nth-child(3){top:8px;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu{cursor:pointer;}/*!sc*/ He looks like he can barely walk. Merrifield, who was in a four-man competition for the starting second-base job this spring, said he was told at the end of camp to just go down there [to Omaha] and work., Merrifield principally was called up to jump-start a sagging offense. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu--icon span{display:block;position:absolute;height:2px;width:24px;background:#ffffff;opacity:1;-webkit-transform:rotate(0deg);-ms-transform:rotate(0deg);transform:rotate(0deg);-webkit-transition:all 250ms ease-in-out;transition:all 250ms ease-in-out;border-radius:3px;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__sponsor-logo a,.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__url-logo a{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;-webkit-box-pack:end;-webkit-justify-content:flex-end;-ms-flex-pack:end;justify-content:flex-end;}/*!sc*/ Purple Cain, etc. @media (min-width:768px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav__content{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav__group:not(:first-child){margin-left:16px;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav__group.cols{-webkit-column-count:2;column-count:2;-webkit-column-gap:8px;column-gap:8px;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav__item,.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav__group-title{width:100%;}}/*!sc*/ . .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__button.account{-webkit-box-pack:end;-webkit-justify-content:flex-end;-ms-flex-pack:end;justify-content:flex-end;padding:0 0 0 4px;white-space:nowrap;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;}/*!sc*/ In 2015 it was Toronto, Yankees, Texas, Houston, and the Angels. .mHQYb .p-search-item__info{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;}/*!sc*/ KANSAS CITY, Mo. @media (min-width:1024px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav__content{-webkit-box-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;justify-content:center;}}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-container__revenue{display:none;}/*!sc*/ MINNEAPOLIS -- The Blue Jays brought in Whit Merrifield's speed and versatility to give their depth a shot in the arm, which will be easier now that he has one in his. Hes got the green light.. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Whit Merrifield is a 34-year-old, right-handed hitting second baseman/outfielder (and he also played some first base for us, and he pitched an inning for us last year). Whitley David Merrifield (born January 24, 1989) is an American professional baseball second baseman and outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). [type="number"]::-webkit-inner-spin-button,[type="number"]::-webkit-outer-spin-button{height:auto;}/*!sc*/ All picks and predictions are suggestions only. /*-->*/ [4][5] In his three years at South Carolina, he played in 195 games and hit .329/.389/.489 with 27 home runs. And Espinals bat cooled off at the end of the season. 3:48PM: The Mets are one of the teams interested in Merrifield, MLB Network's Jon Heyman reports ( Twitter link ). .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-items{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;padding-top:2px;}/*!sc*/ If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Scores from any date in Major League history, Minor, Foreign, College, & Black Baseball, Frequently Asked Questions about MLB and Baseball, Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .icon *{fill:currentColor;}/*!sc*/ Baltimore, Boston, and Seattle. h1{font-size:2em;margin:0.67em 0;}/*!sc*/ He deserves it, and thanks to the Royals trade, hes gonna get a fair shot at it. From top to bottom, its exciting baseball. [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. .drUhS rect{fill:#000000;stroke:#000000;}/*!sc*/ Soon after joining his new club prior to Thursday's 9-3 win against the Twins, Merrifield said that he has received the COVID-19 vaccine and will be eligible to enter Canada following this road trip.