“Congrats on a heck of a run!” - Fellow Kansas City star Patrick Mahomes praises Whit Merrifield on 553 consecutive games played
Whit Merrifield has been one of the few bright spots of the post-2015 World Series Kansas City Royals. Since defeating the New York Mets to win the 2015 World Series, the Royals have been mediorce to say the least. They have not reached the postseason since, and this year seems no different.
The Kansas City Royals have had a record of 412-544 since their magical World Series run seven years ago. This includes back-to-back 100-loss seasons in 2018 and 2019. This season, Kansas City appears to be in the same position as in recent years. They currently have a 34-52 and are last place in the American League Central.
However, there have been a couple of positives for the Royals this season. For one, Andrew Benintendi has had a great season, hitting well over .300. They will most likely trade him, but they will get a lot in return. Rookie Bobby Witt Jr. has shown that he has true potential in the MLB.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Royals is Whit Merrifield's 553 consecutive games played. Prior to yesterday's game, Merrifield played in every Royals game dating back to 2018. Something of this caliber is extremely rare to see in today's game, as players often take days off to preserve their bodies.
A run like we've never seen before. https://t.co/jhBUbHO9W9
"A run like we've never seen before" - Kansas City Royals
The feat was so impressive fellow Kansas City sports professional and superstar Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes congratulated Merrifield. Mahomes tweeted in response to a post by the Kansas City Royals featuring Whit Merrifield's streak.
Congrats on a heck of a run! @WhitMerrifield cant wait to see you back out there! twitter.com/royals/status/…
"Congrats on a heck of a run! @WhitMerrifield cant wait to see you back out there!" - Patrick Mahomes II
It is always nice to see fellow stars of sports city come out and support each other.
Inside Whit Merrifield's impressive career with Kansas City
Whit Merrifield has been one of the only constants for the Royals in these past few seasons. Since being called up to the MLB in 2016, Whit Merrifield has only played for Kansas City. He has led all of baseball in hits twice, in 2018 and 2019. Merrifield also has two All-Star appearances, and he received MVP votes in 2018.
Whit Merrifield spent 6 full seasons in the minors before debuting at age 27. Since then:
2016: .283/.323/.392
2017: .288/.324/.460 (led AL in SB)
2018: .304/.367/.438 (led AL in SB)
2019: .316/.369/.511
What he has done is almost without precedent in major league history.
"What he has done is almost without precedent in major league history." - Rany Jazayerli
Throughout his consecutive games streak, Merrifield had back-to-back seasons where he hit over .300 and more than 180 hits. He also led the league last year in doubles with 42 and led the American League steals with 40. He did all of this without missing any games for the Kansas City Royals.
Merrifield has been somewhat in a slump this season, hitting only .240. However, his everyday presence is highly respected throughout the league. Although the streak has now ended due to a toe injury, it will definitely not be forgotten.