Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Whit Merrifield (15) looks on during batting practice veer the game against the Minnesota Twins during game two of the Wildcard series for the 2023 MLB playoffs at Target Field in 2023. Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Former Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays All-Star Announces Retirement

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Brady Farkas | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 5:38 PM ET

Whit Merrifield, who previously starred for the Kansas City Royals and the Toronto Blue Jays, has officially announced his retirement from baseball.

Robert Murray of Fansided shared his statement on social media. Merrifield thanked the four organizations/cities that he played for said his only regret was not being able to win a championship.

Whit Merrifield has retired after nine seasons in baseball, his agency @WSM_Baseball announced. pic.twitter.com/anYenhlo5e
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) June 24, 2025

An excellent player for nine seasons, Merrifield played parts of seven years with the Royals and parts of two with the Blue Jays. He played part of 2024 with the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves.

A versatile player who could play second base or the outfield, he was a career .280 hitter. He popped 94 career homers and drove in 485, while also stealing 218 bases. Merrifield led the American League in steals three times and led the majors in hits twice. He had two seasons where he hit greater than .300.

He made his major league debut with the Royals in 2016, right after the team won the World Series in 2015. He never got a chance to play in the playoffs with Kansas City, but finally experienced them with Toronto in 2022 and 2023. Unfortunately, the Jays were beaten in the wild card round both years.

Merrifield was a three-time All-Star and received MVP votes during the 2018 season. He made two All-Star games with the Royals and one with Toronto.

While it's too early to know for sure, it's hard to imagine the Royals not honoring him in some capacity later this season, or next year.

We'll have more information on that as it becomes available.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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