2022 Stats
AVG
.250
HR
11
RBI
58
R
70
SB
16
2023 Projections
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Merrifield was the subject of trade speculation since he broke out for the Royals in 2017, and the team finally dealt him to the Blue Jays last season. It's really a move that came a couple years late, as the veteran utility man had a career-worst .642 OPS for Kansas City prior to the deal. He fared better in Toronto with a .769 OPS in 44 games, so he's heading into 2023 with a slightly more positive outlook. The 34-year-old closed out last year with 11 home runs, 58 RBI, 70 runs and 16 stolen bases, with the steals representing a significant dip from his 2021 production (40 thefts). Joining the Blue Jays' potent lineup should provide a boost to Merrifield's counting stats in 2023, and he'll likely open spring training as the favorite to start at second base. Even if he does continue to rebound from his poor first half of 2021, Merrifield shouldn't be expected to rediscover his All-Star form from 2018 and 2019, when he had a 115 wRC+. Read Past Outlooks

Back in spring lineup
Merrifield (quadriceps) will start at second base and bat leadoff in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.
ANALYSIS
Merrifield will rejoin the spring lineup for the first time since last Thursday after a minor right quad injury prompted the Blue Jays to hold him out for a few days. Though he'll be leading off Tuesday, Merrifield will most likely find himself in the bottom half of the batting order during the regular season, at which time George Springer is expected to serve as Toronto's primary table setter.
Merrifield will rejoin the spring lineup for the first time since last Thursday after a minor right quad injury prompted the Blue Jays to hold him out for a few days. Though he'll be leading off Tuesday, Merrifield will most likely find himself in the bottom half of the batting order during the regular season, at which time George Springer is expected to serve as Toronto's primary table setter.
Batting Stats
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2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2022 MLB Game Log
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Minor League Game Log

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Batting Order Slot Breakdown
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
51
11
2
4
4
12
8
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
25
2
1
2
6
1
Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2020
+3%
OPS vs LHP
2022
+8%
OPS vs LHP
OPS | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Since 2020vs Left | .726 | 405 | 9 | 40 | .264 | ||||
Since 2020vs Right | .702 | 1122 | 21 | 122 | .270 | ||||
2022vs Left | .711 | 158 | 5 | 19 | .238 | ||||
2022vs Right | .658 | 392 | 6 | 39 | .255 | ||||
2021vs Left | .720 | 196 | 3 | 18 | .276 | ||||
2021vs Right | .708 | 524 | 7 | 56 | .277 | ||||
2020vs Left | .800 | 51 | 1 | 3 | .298 | ||||
2020vs Right | .766 | 206 | 8 | 27 | .280 | ||||
More Splits→ | View More Split Stats |
Home/Away Batting Splits
Since 2020
+7%
OPS on Road
2022
+11%
OPS on Road
OPS | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Since 2020Home | .683 | 746 | 10 | 63 | .266 | ||||
Since 2020Away | .733 | 785 | 20 | 99 | .272 | ||||
2022Home | .637 | 255 | 2 | 19 | .249 | ||||
2022Away | .705 | 295 | 9 | 39 | .251 | ||||
2021Home | .733 | 363 | 5 | 36 | .285 | ||||
2021Away | .689 | 357 | 5 | 38 | .269 | ||||
2020Home | .633 | 128 | 3 | 8 | .244 | ||||
2020Away | .913 | 133 | 6 | 22 | .328 | ||||
More Splits→ | View More Split Stats |
Stat Review
How does Whit Merrifield compare to other hitters?
This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
BB/K
0.45BB Rate
6.9%K Rate
15.5%BABIP
.276ISO
.125AVG
.250OBP
.298SLG
.375OPS
.673wOBA
.296Exit Velocity
87.1 mphHard Hit Rate
25.1%Barrels/PA
3.3%Expected BA
.240Expected SLG
.356Sprint Speed
23.4 ft/secGround Ball %
40.9%Line Drive %
19.7%Fly Ball %
39.4%Advanced Batting Stats
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Additional Stats
Games By Position
Defensive Stats
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Batted Ball Stats
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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
Since he's started every single game over the past three seasons, Merrifield has provided a bountiful totals in the count stats, most notably runs scored and stolen bases. His 40 steals last season put him second in the league behind only Starling Marte. Previously, he'd stated that he quits stealing bases once the Royals are out of postseason contention and that approach can be seen with only two steals in September along with no home runs. His power has been slowly on the decline, with his .117 ISO and 5.0% HR/FB last year being his lowest since his rookie season. While he's still hitting the ball hard -- Merrifield's 107.8 mph MaxEV was a four-year high -- he's putting more balls on the ground (40.7 GB% in 2021). The Royals will keep playing him, but his real-world usefulness as a hitter is becoming suspect after he posted a .711 OPS last season (.811 OPS in 2019). His playing time is likely safe for 2022, but the decline is happening fast.
More Fantasy News

Sidelined with quad tightness
Merrifield has been out of Grapefruit League games since Friday due to right quad tightness, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
ANALYSIS
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Exits after pitch hits head
Merrifield left Saturday's game against Seattle after taking a pitch off his helmet, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Takes seat for Game 2 of twin bill
Merrifield is out of the lineup for the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Orioles.
ANALYSIS
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Three more hits Monday
Merrifield went 3-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI in Monday's 5-1 win over the Orioles.
ANALYSIS
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Catching fire late in season
Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, two RBI and an additional run in Sunday's 6-3 win over the Red Sox.
ANALYSIS
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