When Ozzie Albies went down in late July with a wrist injury, many fans were speculating if Alex Anthopoulos would trade for an infielder at the deadline. The Braves front office ended up handing the job to veteran Whit Merrifield and have reaped the benefits since.
Last night, Merrifield made his mark against his former team as his great game helped spring the Braves to a series opening win over their NL East rival. Merrifield was very open about why last night's performance felt so good for him in his postgame interview.
Merrifield enjoys revenge on his former team
After another solid night at the plate, Whit was asked what this game meant to him personally and his response was amazing. "I would be lying if I said it didn't feel good to play well against a team that told you that you weren't good enough to play for them" Merrifield answered.
He was honest in his response by saying his performance with the Phillies weren't up to big league standards. The numbers back that up as Merrifield hit under .200 and slugged under .300 during his time with Philadelphia. However, Merrifield's resilience to bounce back and contribute for the Braves (in a time where the injuries never seem to end) has been such a blessing for this team.
"I would be lying if I said it didn't feel good to play well against a team that told you that you weren't good enough to play for them. I do love those guys. I wish them the best, just a little bit less when they play the Braves."
— Bally Sports South (@BallySportsSO) August 21, 2024
Whit Merrifield after tonights W⤵️ pic.twitter.com/sufzhSmNMY
Since his first start with the Braves on July 31st, Merrifield has been closer to the 3x All-Star he was years ago. His .259/.386/.414 slash line is more than the Braves could've hoped for. His on-base skills and baserunning ability is his biggest strength, and it's taken off with Atlanta.
Merrifield has nearly doubled his BB% with the Braves jumping from 8.6% with Philadelphia, to 16.7% with Atlanta. His BABIP (batting average on balls in play) also jumped from .209 with the Phillies to .326 with the Braves. Finally, we end with his four stolen bases, .355 wOBA, and 127 wRC+ over the past few weeks with the Braves.
Merrifield admitted that was he was unsure why it didn't work out in Philadelphia, as he could never find his footing. He genuinely feels no hard feelings toward the Phillies or their players, but he felt as if something was off.
Whit claims he doesn't have that feeling with Atlanta. It's a welcoming clubhouse and an easy fanbase to play for being that he is from the southeast himself. Whether it's baseball evening itself out over a long season, or Merrifield feeling at home in Atlanta, fans are simply thankful Whit is a Brave.
“When I got the call that Atlanta wanted me to come play for them, it's an honor to wear the Braves logo on my chest. I don't take it lightly and I am excited to show up at the park every day.”
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) August 21, 2024
Whit Merrifield on being a part of the @Braves clubhouse🔊 https://t.co/i1ieSqP304 pic.twitter.com/l9ZPmCJPU2