Whit Merrifield cemented his status as a Toronto Blue Jays fan favorite on Sunday

With a combination of timely batting and knowledge of MLB rules benefiting his team, Whit Merrifield quickly made himself popular with Toronto Blue Jays fans.

Purchased in a trade with the Kansas City Royals Just before the Aug. 2 MLB trade deadline, Whit Merrifield made an impact in a very short span of time with the Toronto Blue Jays … and that impact wasn’t just from his hot start on the plate or what he’s done on the team set up.

Since donning a Blue Jays uniform, Merrifield is 5-for-14 and has filed an RBI and a stolen base. However, it’s also the experienced leadership and intangibles that have given Toronto a boost since his arrival.

A perfect example of this came in Sunday’s 10th inning in Minnesota against the American League Central-leading Twins. Merrifield marked to score with a flyball and was initially called to the plate. Check out the play below.

However, upon review, the call to Merrifield’s chute was reversed after the umpires ruled that catcher Gary Sanchez interfered with Merrifield’s ability to score. The reversal led to the sacking of angry Twins manager Rocco Baldelli and finally a 3-2 win for the Blue Jays.

Blue Jays: Whit Merrifield is already a fan favorite

Merrifield, who was fielded in the ninth inning, told reporters after the contest that knowing the MLB rule book, he intended how he slid home.

Merrifield said he saw Sanchez blocking the plate as he ran from third and decided to slide into him to make it more obvious.

“I knew how [Sanchez] sets up at home. And I know what the rule is. It’s just a question of whether or not it was called.”

— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) August 7, 2022

The quote received immediate reactions from Blue Jays fans, with a tweet about Merrifield, “He’s a mischievous agent of chaos and I love him,” and another calls him a “baseball expert”.

Whit Merrifield’s move to the Toronto Blue Jays is already paying off as the versatile veteran with bat, glove and brains is proving valuable.