Fred Merkle (December 20, 1888 - March 2, 1956) was a Major League Baseball player.

Born Frederick Charles Merkle in Watertown, Wisconsin, he played infield for sixteen seasons in the major leagues with the New York Giants, the Brooklyn Robins, the Chicago Cubs of the National League and after playing in the International League from 1921 to 1925 he appeared in eight games with the New York Yankees of the American League before retiring in 1926.

He is best remembered for a baserunning error while playing for the Giants in a game against the Chicago Cubs on September 23, 1908 that cost his team the pennant. It would forever be known as the "Merkle Boner." Nevertheless, Merkle, who was only 19 years of age at the time, was able to deal with the publicity and pressure and went on to a successful baseball career.

Fred Merkle passed away in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1956 and was interred there in "Bellevue Cedar Hill Memory Gardens."