Royals Fan Favorite, 3-Time AL All-Star Announces Retirement From MLB

"Two-hit Whit" is calling it a career

Jul 25, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield (15) throws to first base after forcing out Los Angeles Angels second baseman Luis Rengifo (2) at second base during the ninth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

A long-time Kansas City Royals star is calling it a career on Tuesday.

Whit Merrifield was a ninth-round pick for the Royals in 2010 and it took him until 2017 to reach the big leagues. But once he got there, oh what a player he was.

Merrifield manned second base (mostly) for the Royals from 2016 to 2022, leading the majors in hits twice and racking up two All-Star appearances. He was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in the summer of 2022 and notched a third All-Star nod in 2023, but things went south from that point forward.

After a rough first half with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2024, Merrifield found himself released in July. He was picked up by the injury-ravaged Atlanta Braves and started there for most of the second half of the season, but he couldn't find a new contract to his liking in the offseason.

On Tuesday, Merrifield made it official. His agency, Warner Sports, released a statement from the 36-year-old confirming he'd chosen to hang up his cleats.

"I was so privileged and blessed to have play in the cities I played in," Merrifield wrote. "KC, you became a second home to my family and I. Nothing compares to your first love."

"My only baseball regret was never being able to help bring a world championship to any one of the cities I played for."

Merrifield also said that there were "many factors" that played a role in his decision, but highlighted the birth of his first child in March of 2024, which he said made it impossible to devote his full energy to baseball.

The Royals fan favorite retires with a .280 batting average, 1,249 hits, and 17.1 bWAR, 16.8 of which were accrued in Kansas City. Someday, he'll definitely be a candidate for recognition in the Royals Hall of Fame.

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