Kevin Custer Merrell (born December 14, 1995) is an American professional baseball shortstop.
| Kevin Merrell | |
|---|---|
| Free agent | |
| Shortstop | |
| Born: (1995-12-14) December 14, 1995 (age 26) Odessa, Florida | |
Bats: Left Throws: Right | |
Merrell was on the Citrus Park team that advanced to the 2008 Little League World Series. He attended Steinbrenner High School. In 2014, as a senior, he hit .462.[1] He was not drafted in the 2014 MLB draft and he then enrolled at the University of South Florida where he played college baseball.[2][3] In 2016, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[4] In 2017, Merrell's junior year, he slashed .384/.464/.569 with seven home runs and 36 RBIs in 52 games. After the season, he was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the first round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.[5]
Merrell signed with Oakland and was assigned to the Vermont Lake Monsters where he batted .320 with two home runs, nine RBIs, and a .786 OPS in 31 games.[6] He spent 2018 with the Stockton Ports, with whom he was named a California League All-Star, slashing .267/.308/.326 with 24 RBIs in 62 games.[7] He began 2019 with the Midland RockHounds.[8]
On July 14, 2019, Merrell was traded to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Homer Bailey.[9] Following the trade, he was assigned to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals,[10] with whom he finished the year. Over 124 games between Midland and Northwest Arkansas, Merrell batted .242/.287/.330 with two home runs, 47 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases. He did not play a minor league game in 2020 since the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Merrell hit .200/.288/.300 in 54 games between Northwest Arkansas and the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers. Merrell was released by the Royals on October 13, 2021.[11]
On January 16, 2022, Merrell signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins.[12] He was released July 2022.