Padres star Jackson Merrill reflects on his rapid rise in MLB and what’s ahead in 2025: ‘It was a process to get used to the new life’

This time final 12 months, many within the baseball trade knew who Jackson Merrill was. Having been chosen by the San Diego Padres within the 2021 MLB Draft, the then-20-year-old was thought-about a high prospect and a rising star to keep watch over. Even so, the participant himself wasn’t positive when or even when he’d get his alternative to interrupt out.

However typically a staff want creates a person alternative, and that’s what developed final spring in entrance of the previous first-round decide.

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The 2024 Padres wanted a middle fielder, and so, with only a few choices in sight, they regarded to Merrill to make an enormous change throughout spring coaching: Transfer from shortstop, the place he had performed his complete profession, to a brand new place in heart.

“That was crazy,” Merrill recalled to Yahoo Sports activities.

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Did he ever think about saying no?

“It wasn’t even a thought in my mind,” Merrill stated. “I never said no to myself. I never said no to anybody. It was like, ‘You wanna play center?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m out there. I’m out there for you guys.’”

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Trying again, you would possibly say that the opportunity of a place change had at all times existed someplace behind the younger participant’s thoughts.

“When I got drafted, I said I’d play anywhere. I actually asked when we [first] got out to Arizona. I said, ‘Can I take some outfield drills?’ and the coach was like, ‘No, you’re not allowed to,’” Merrill remembered with a smile.

[Watch the full interview: Jackson Merrill sits down with Yahoo Sports]

When the state of affairs known as for it, the Padres’ new heart fielder was up for the problem, and never solely did he settle for his new actuality, however he additionally flourished virtually instantly. Starting in his debut towards the Dodgers within the Seoul Sequence, Merrill rapidly confirmed all of baseball that he’s a power to be reckoned with. And at a time when the Padres’ lineup wanted a jolt coming off a dismal 2023, Merrill, who will flip 22 in April, delivered.

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In his first MLB season, Merrill slashed .292/.326/.500 in 156 video games and led all rookies in batting common, hits (162), dwelling runs (24), extra-base hits (61) and RBI (90). He additionally thrived defensively, score +11 in outs above common in heart. Merrill grew to become the primary Padres rookie to make the All-Star Recreation, completed second in NL Rookie of the 12 months voting behind Paul Skenes and helped energy San Diego to 93 wins and a spot within the postseason.

That’s to say nothing of the younger slugger’s six game-tying or go-ahead dwelling runs within the seventh inning or later.

“I think having confidence leading up to that moment is huge, but in the moment, it’s a blackout,” he stated of his clutch hits. “If you’re locked in and you’re focused, there’s nothing that’s gonna take you off. Like, you don’t even think about anything. You’re up there trying to hit a pitch and trying to do something for your team, so that was me in every moment.”

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As soon as October arrived, Merrill didn’t shrink from that second, both. In his first seven profession postseason video games — earlier than the Padres had been eradicated by the Dodgers in Recreation 5 of the NLDS — Merrill went 6-for-24 with three walks, a double, a triple and a house run. His first hit of the wild-card collection towards Atlanta made him the youngest participant in Padres historical past with a postseason hit, a distinction that beforehand belonged to teammate Fernando Tatis Jr.

Merrill added his first playoff dwelling run within the wild Recreation 2 of the NLDS towards the Dodgers.

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“It was like the Coliseum. You ever seen ‘Gladiator’?” Merrill stated when requested concerning the ambiance that evening at Dodger Stadium. “… But I think it was good for us. We needed that boost. We needed some anger in our lives. …

“Obviously, it didn’t end the way we wanted, but that was a huge moment for us.”

Going into 2025, Merrill is a fixture in San Diego’s lineup and out in heart area at Petco Park. And with a wholesome roster, the Padres hope to be among the many contenders within the Nationwide League once more. However their younger star hasn’t let his meteoric rise cease him from persevering with to find out about himself and the sport alongside the way in which.

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Requested what he would possibly wish to do in another way in his sophomore season, Merrill had a solution prepared.

“Share it with people. I think sharing it with people is what I want to do more,” Merrill stated. “More with my family, more with my girlfriend, I think sharing it with people will be huge this year. Last year was kind of hard for me to find my feet, find where I was at.

“Even if it didn’t look like it, it was still a process to get used to the new life.”