Phillies utility man Whit Merrifield discusses his slow start and his efforts to improve with hitting coach Kevin Long.
Whit Merrifield on his early slump: ‘You want to prove yourself to the fanbase, and I haven’t done that’
Throughout his career, Merrifield has been known for collecting a lot of hits. He won the batting title in 2018 and 2019 with the Royals, and recorded 149 hits in 2023. That’s his base, and he’s tried to remind himself of that lately. But that doesn’t mean this slump doesn’t bother him.“It’s just a lot, being on a new team trying to … not necessarily show my worth in here, but to the new fan base,” he said. “You want to prove yourself early to the fan base, and I sure haven’t done that.
He benefited from it. He hit .306/.340/.571 with three home runs in September. The Phillies made no promises about his playing time when he signed, and Merrifield told them he would hit his way into the lineup. He is still trying to do that. He and Kevin Long, the Phillies’ hitting coach, have been working daily to try to find “something that sticks.”
Despite going 0-for-4 on Friday night, Merrifield felt good about his last two at-bats. He felt like he was on time, and that his load was more fluid. He was seeing the ball well. He saw progress. Whit Merrifield has done a lot in his career — except win. He chose the Phillies to try to change that.
Whit Merrifield Slump Phillies Hitting Coach Slow Start Baseball
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