Gamecock great Whit Merrifield announces retirement from pro baseball
South Carolina baseball great Whit Merrifield has announced his retirement after nine seasons in Major League Baseball.
Merrifield’s agency, Warner Sports Management, posted the news of his retirement to social media.
“I loved all the moments. All the highs and even the lows. I’m grateful for the way this game molded me,” Whitfield said in the statement. “I can’t wait to tell my story to my daughter one day. What a ride. Thanks for everything.”
Merrifield said in the statement that the birth of his daughter in 2024 was a factor in choosing to retire.
He spent most of his career with Kansas City Royals (2016-22) and also played for Toronto (2022-23) and with Philadelphia and Atlanta in 2024. He mentioned each of the teams in the statement and even joked about his time with the Phillies.
“I liked you way more than you liked me. Sorry, I stunk for you,” Merrifield wrote.
Merrifield, 36, was a three-time All-Star, led MLB in hits in back-to-back seasons (2018-19) and also led the American League in stolen bases in 2017, 2018 and 2021. He finished with a career average of .280 with 94 home runs, 485 RBIs and 218 stolen bases.
Merrifield was a ninth-round selection by the Royals in the 2010 draft after a standout career at South Carolina.
He played for the Gamecocks from 2008-10 and is best known for his game-winning hit in the bottom of the 11th inning against UCLA jn the 2010 College World Series. The hit gave the Gamecocks a 2-1 win over the Bruins and helped them sweep the best-of-three championship series for the program’s first national title.
“It was just elation when I saw it go through. I knew I got the barrel on it,” Merrifield said after the game. “I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was jumping up and down and screaming and just waiting for my teammates to come tackle me. Gosh, this is unbelievable.”
In his three years at USC, Merrifield played in 195 games and hit. 329 with 27 home runs. He had a school-record 26-game hitting streak in 2010.
This story was originally published June 24, 2025 at 5:59 PM.
