Whitley David Merrifield (born January 24, 1989) is an American professional baseball utility player who is a free agent.

He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves.

[6] The Kansas City Royals selected Merrifield in the ninth round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft.

In 2012, with both Wilmington and the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, he compiled a .258 batting average with nine home runs and 44 RBIs in 125 games between both teams.

Merrifield made his major league debut with the Kansas City Royals on May 18, 2016, instantly batting in the top third of the lineup and soon taking the starting second baseman job from Omar Infante.

In early July 2016, a song and video tribute to Merrifield titled "Cool Whit" received coverage on local Kansas City radio and TV news.

[18][19] Overall with the 2020 Kansas City Royals in the Covid-shortened season, Merrifield batted .282 with nine home runs and 30 RBIs in 60 games.

[24] He was among ten Royals players who were in violation of Canada's COVID-19 vaccination requirement and unable to travel to Toronto for a four-game weekend series right before the All-Star break two weeks earlier in July.

[30] On September 7, 2024, Merrifield was diagnosed with a fractured left foot, and was sidelined for a short amount of time but not placed on the injured list.

[35] In September 1987, Bill Merrifield was briefly on the active roster of the Pittsburgh Pirates, but was sent to the Florida Instructional League without making an MLB appearance,[36] rendering him a phantom ballplayer.