The Kansas City Royals announced today that infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield and right-handed pitcher Brad Keller have been named Royals Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, for the period of July/August. The awards are determined by a local media vote.
Merrifield ranked fifth in the American League in July/August with 40 hits in 35 games, and also led the Royals in runs (22), RBI (22, tied), batting average (.288) and slugging percentage (.496). His seven stolen bases were third most in the American League, one behind the league leaders. Merrifield has recorded at least 30 hits in 10 consecutive full months dating back to July 2018, the longest streak by an American League player since Ichiro Suzuki went 11 straight months from May 2007-September 2008 (Elias). His seven home runs through August were one shy of Jorge Soler for the team lead, and project out to 32 home runs over a 162-game season, which would smash his career high of 19 homers set in 2017. Four of his seven homers tied the game or gave Kansas City a lead, including a pair of tying home runs last weekend in Chicago. This is Merrifield’s fifth career Royals Player of the Month Award, tied for sixth most among position players since the award’s inception in 1995.
Keller had a team-leading three wins in just five starts in August with a 1.93 ERA (6 ER in 28.0 IP), which matched the second-lowest mark in the American League (min. 5 starts) behind Shane Bieber (1.20). Keller began the season with 17.2 consecutive scoreless innings, which was the fourth-longest season-opening streak in franchise history, and he went 3-0 with no runs allowed over his first three starts, becoming one of six pitchers since the mound was lowered in 1969 to win his first three outings in a season—all starts—and not allow a run. He also became the fifth pitcher in Royals history to go 3-0 and not allow a run over any three-start stretch, according to Elias, joining Zack Greinke (April 8-18, 2009), David Cone (May 11-22, 1994), Bret Saberhagen (Sept. 17-26, 1989) and Kevin Appier (Sept. 3-18, 1993). Keller allowed no more than three hits in each of his first three starts, extending his streak to six starts overall dating back to last season, which fell one start shy of the longest streak of appearances—all starts—of three hits or fewer by a non-Opener since 1901, held by Johan Santana (July 1-Aug. 1, 2004). Keller has won five of the 13 Royals Pitcher of the Month Awards since his debut in 2018, which are fifth most since the honor was first awarded in 1995.
