Merrifield cranked out four singles in five at-bats with a stolen base and two runs against the Cardinals on Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

The big effort improved his average to an even .300 on the season, and it's almost surprising that he wasn't at that lofty height already, considering that he seems to get a hit in just about every game. Indeed, since the start of July, Merrifield has gone hitless just five times in 35 games, and he's been contributing both pop and speed steadily, establishing himself as one of the league's most surprising breakout stars. With an impressively low 13.2 percent strikeout rate, it should be no problem for him to keep hitting for average.

Merrifield recently accomplished something only six other players in MLB history have been able to do -- in his first 162 games, Merrifield had 175-plus hits, 80-plus runs, 40-plus doubles and 20-plus steals, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Considering he began 2017 in the minor leagues, it's a safe to say Merrifield sat on waivers in many fantasy leagues on Opening Day. He's since transformed into a legitimate keeper option, even in leagues with limited keeper slots available. The 28-year-old should enter 2018 with eligibility at multiple positions (second base and outfield), making Merrifield an even more intriguing option to hang onto.

Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Tigers.

EDGE Analysis

The leadoff blast was Merrifield's fourth homer in the last six games and 11th of the year. The 28-year-old's been on fire since the All-Star break, slashing .347/.411/.714, and he's become one of the unsung heroes of the Royals' climb into playoff contention after their rough start to the season.

Merrifield went 2-for-3 with a pair of solo home runs and a walk in Sunday's 5-4 win over the White Sox.

EDGE Analysis

Merrifield hit the first of three consecutive Royals homers off Derek Holland in the bottom of the fourth inning, then added another solo shot off reliever Dan Jennings to tie the game 4-4 in the eighth. The 28-year-old second baseman has been a tremendous spark plug at the top of the order, having swiped 16 bags to go with 10 long balls this year. Four of those 10 home runs have come in the month of July after Merrifield failed to hit one in June.

Merrifield went 2-for-6 with a solo home run and two runs scored during Thursday's win over Detroit.

EDGE Analysis

The second baseman offers a nice cross-category profile with eight homers, 35 RBI, 15 stolen bases, 37 runs and a .290/.330/.468 slash line. Individually, there aren't any high-end marks, but tilting the scales across multiple stat columns has Merrifield moving the fantasy needle in the the majority of settings.

Merrifield hit .281 with a .768 OPS, seven home runs and 14 stolen bases through 70 first-half games.

EDGE Analysis

Merrifield was passed over for an Opening Day roster spot, but it only a couple of weeks before he locked down the big-league gig for good. The sophomore has cut his strikeout rate by nearly eight percent from last year while positing an impressive .168 ISO. His 14 swipes are second in the AL only to Jose Altuve, but Merrifield's 93.3 percent success rate on the base paths is best among all MLB players with at least five steals.

Merrifield went 3-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI, three stolen bases and a run scored during Sunday's win over Minnesota.

EDGE Analysis

The second baseman is turning in a strong fantasy campaign with a .286/.323/.452 slash line, six home runs, 31 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 28 runs. Merrifield is tilting the scales across all categories, and Kansas City is 16-9 since he moved into the leadoff spot in early June.

Merrifield is not in Thursday's lineup for the series finale against the Tigers, MLB.com's Jeffrey Flanagan reports.

EDGE Analysis

After starting the past eight games, Merrifield receives a standard day off for Thursday's matinee. Ramon Torres will man second base and bat leadoff in his stead.

Merrifield is out of the lineup Sunday against the Angels, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Merrifield will take a seat after starting in the Royals' previous 21 games in what amounts to little more than a rest day. Ramon Torres will replace Merrifield at the keystone and assume his usual spot atop the lineup.

Merrifield went 3-for-6 with a stolen base and three runs during Wednesday's win in San Francisco.

EDGE Analysis

A pair of singles and his seventh double of the season boosted Merrifield's average to .292 through 48 games. The second baseman has enjoyed the club's stay on the west coast, going 7-for-18 with five RBI and five runs over the past five games. He hasn't been particularly good hitting leadoff (averaging .185 through 81 at-bats), but Wednesday might just be what the doctor ordered to get Merrifield rolling in the top spot.