Royals Whit Merrifield Deep League Add: Waiver Wire

By Brad Kelly | May 30, 2017

May 8, 2017; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Kansas City Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield (15) on deck to bat against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Whit Merrifield is currently on a tear at the plate for the Royals. But, can fantasy owners look at him as a potential waiver wire add?

The Royals’ season has not gone to plan as the team sits in the cellar of the AL Central. It seems like just a matter of months ago that they were battling it out in the World Series, yet it seems as though their championship window has closed. Even though the 2017 season may not transpire into much, the team has had its share of bright spots. One being, Whit Merrifield.

Merrifield was drafted in the ninth round by the Royals in 2010. After spending his college days at South Carolina, Merrifield entered the Royals’ system as a solid prospect. He has spent parts of the last eight seasons in the minors, and even though he never lit it up, he is a career .275 minor league hitter with 143 steals to his name.

He made his Royals debut last season, posting a .283/2 HR/29 RBI/8 SB/.716 OPS over 332 at-bats. Merrifield looked the part of a prototypical light-hitting utility man that can run into a few here and there. He had a 32 SB in the minors, so it would not be a huge shock to see him swipe 10-15 at the big league level.

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Heading into this spring, Merrifield was in a dogfight for the starting second baseman job, Unfortunately for him, Raul Mondesi Jr. took the job with his great spring performance. Mondesi’s bat never did make the trip north though, opening the door for Merrifield to step in and take the job.

The Royals promoted Merrifield after only nine games in AAA, but he did not get off to a blazing start in April batting only .229. Fantasy owners clearly had no use for him at this point as it seemed as though he was falling into the offensive funk that the rest of the team.

With the turn of the calendar through, Merrifield has picked things up significantly. He has posted a .314 AVG/4 HR/9 RBI/4 SB/.855 OPS line over 24 games. The power and speed rates would easily be career bests, and he continued his tear against lefties to the tune of a .400 AVG.

Merrifield credits the power surge to added weight and muscle put on during the offseason. His power has also been benefited by a career-best 39% FB rate and 51% Med and 35% Hard contact rates. He is hitting the ball harder and more often in the air, a clear recipe for power.

Moving forward, Merrifled should also be looking at a move to the top of the order. The Royals continue to run out Alcides Escobar in the leadoff spot, and to put it simply, he has been downright awful at the plate. Merrifield serves as the next best option to slide to the top of the order, putting him in line for more counting stats.

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Whit Merrifield is not going to win anyone their league, but he could be a sneaky waiver wire add that posts a .280/10 HR/15 SB line. Speed is nearly non-existent on the wire, and Merrifield offers solid bat skill to not kill your AVG in the process. Give him a closer look.

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