KC Royals: Orlando, Merrifield Making Most Of Time In KC

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Jun 13, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals second basemen Whit Merrifield (15) celebrates with teammate Alcides Escobar (2) after hitting a solo home run against the Cleveland Indians during the fourth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /

The KC Royals new guys are making a world of difference. If you can call them new guys. Paulo Orlando played more than 1,000 minor league games before making his current impact with the Kansas City Royals. Whit Merrifield played in nearly 700 minor league games before making the leap to the bigs.

Both are bright stars in a season that could have been darkened by injuries to KC Royals regulars.

No one from Brazil makes it to the majors. Well, almost no one. Prior to Orlando’s major-league debut with the Kansas City Royals last season, only two Brazilians had ever played in the big leagues. Before baseball, Orlando did not exactly settle for his country’s primary sport of soccer, either. Instead, he earned a spot on the Brazilian Junior Olympic team.

By now, we have all seen Orlando’s speed. How fast was he on the track? He ran the 200m dash in 21 seconds. Last week, University of Arkansas senior Jarrion Lawson won the outdoor track title with a time of 20.19. The collegiate record is 19.69. Jamaican Usain Bolt holds the world record, set in 2009, at 19.19.

The best high school time in Kansas history is 20.70. (Note: Orlando’s quoted time is 21 seconds. In short sprints, hundredths of a second can separate the entire field of runners. For example, the No. 7 runner in last week’s NCAA championships finished in 20.93. Two runners crossed in 20.55).

Orlando ran the 400m dash in 46.36. That would be the fastest time in Kansas high school history. Orlando would have placed seventh at last week’s NCAA championships. University of Florida senior Arman Hall won in 44.82, missing a collegiate record by less than a second. American Michael Johnson set the world record of 43.18 in 1999. No wonder Orlando excels going home to third.

Next: Paulo Orlando In The Royals System

Apr 9, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals left fielder Paulo Orlando (16) runs the bases after hitting a triple against the Chicago White Sox during the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /

Paulo Orlando’s Minor League Career

Orlando was just 20 years old when he began his minor league career with the Chicago White Sox in 2006. He played in more than 100 games in each of his first four years, batting consistently around .260. Even then his speed was on display with 36 triples in 1,443 at bats in three of his first four seasons.

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Orlando was a good day-to-day minor leaguer with a .275 combined average since that 2006 start, but he was never exceptional for either the KC Royals or the White Sox. He batted .305 and hit 13 home runs for AA Northwest Arkansas in 2010, and .301 for AAA Omaha in 2015 before his call-up.

He’s made the most of his time with the Kansas City Royals big club. Through Tuesday, he was fourth on the KC Royals with a .323 batting average, and eighth on the team with a .758 OPS (four of the players ahead of him have significantly fewer at-bats).

2015 proved to be insubstantial average-wise—Orlando hit a meager .249 — but he finished tied for second on the team with six triples. He and Jarrod Dyson had impressive triple-to-hit ratios.

Next: Whit Merrifield

May 27, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals left fielder Whit Merrifield (15) drives in 2 runs with a single against the Chicago White Sox in the seventh inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports /

Whit Merrifield’s Minor League Career

Merrifield may not have the Olympic past, but his story is equally as impressive because he came from virtually nowhere. As a ninth-round pick in the 2009 amateur draft, Merrifield has spent his entire professional career in the Kansas CIty Royals organization.

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Like Orlando, he rarely posted exceptional numbers for the KC Royals farm system. Over seven seasons in the minors, he batted a respectable .274. He has typically risen to the occasion, batting .319 in 2014. Most of that season was spent in Omaha where he batted .340.

Prior to his call-up this season, Merrifield had cooled back off. He batted just .265 in 2015, and was at .278 before his services were needed with the KC Royals.

The rest is history. In his short time in the bigs, Merrifield has already become the first Kansas City Royals player to hit safely in his first nine starts. He scored runs in nine-straight games to tie a KC Royals rookie record. He also set a team record for reaching base in each of his first 18 games.

Simply put, Merrifield is a stud. He currently sits third on the squad with a .330 average, and neither Brett Eibner nor Reymond Fuentes above him have more than 40 at bats. He ranks fourth on the team with an 0.828 OPS. Again, only Hosmer above him has the requisite at bats to truly compare.

Merrifield’s numbers no doubt improved after his first career triple in Tuesday’s win against Chicago. Just prior to that hit, he smashed a long foul ball that might have foreshadowed his big evening. He later flied out to the track in right-center, then hit his first home run just over the Kansas City Royals’ bullpen in left field.

The KC Royals have proven to be one of the streakiest teams in the major leagues this season. Kansas City won six-straight games. Coincidentally or not, Merrifield’s day off on June 2 kick-started an 8-game skid for the Kansas City Royals, who have now won three-straight with Tuesday’s win.

Next: Royals Report: Four Things About Breaking The Losing Streak

Key to that recent success has been solid pitching from Danny Duffy, Yordano Ventura, and Edinson Volquez. But those pitchers are finally getting some support. Those runs are a byproduct of guys like Orlando and Merrifield pulling their weight offensively on a nightly basis; two guys making the most of what could be a bad situation in Kansas City.

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