Stat of the Day: Whit Leads Majors in Hits and Steals

Merrifield is the third player since 1945 to lead the Majors in both categories

Whit Merrifield finished the 2018 season with a career high 192 hits, one more than Freddie Freeman for the Majors lead and four more than J.D. Martinez for the American League lead. He’s the third Royal to lead the Majors in hits, joining: Willie Wilson (club-record 230 hits in 1980) & George Brett (212 in 1979; 215 in 1976, tied with Pete Rose).

Merrifield also finished with a Major League-leading 45 stolen bases, two more than Trea Turner, and most by a Royal since Johnny Damon (46) in 2000. He’s the second Royal to lead the Majors in stolen bases, joining Willie Wilson (club-record 83 steals in 1979).

He’s the third player since WWII to lead the Major Leagues in both hits (192) and steals (45), joining: Dee Gordon (2015) and Ichiro Suzuki (2001). Prior to 1945, the only others to do it were: Snuffy Stirnweiss (1944), Ty Cobb (1917, 1915, 1911, 1909), Benny Kauff (1914) and Honus Wagner (1908).

Whit singled in the eighth inning on Sunday to end the season on a career-high 20-game hit streak, in which he hit .318/.379/.482 (27-for-85). It’s one more than his previous best from May 13-June 4, 2017, is the longest active streak in the Majors and the longest by a Royal since Jose Guillen (21 games from June 4–27, 2010). He’s the first in the Majors to end a season with a 20-game hit streak since Marco Scutaro (20) in 2012. The last longer streak to end a season was 21 by Miguel Tejada in 2009.