Jackson

Merrill

Merrill got the Padres on the board with a 369-foot (104.5 mph EV) solo shot off of Brad Keller to open the ninth inning. That would be their lone tally in the ballgame. The 22-year-old outfielder also smacked a two-out double off of Jameson Taillon in the fourth but the Padres were unable to cash him in. Despite his sophomore season being a bit of a letdown after a brilliant rookie campaign, Merrill will still be very highly coveted in fantasy drafts next spring, though it’s fair to wonder if his speed game will ever return after dropping from 16 thefts in 2024 to just one in 2025.

At 90-72, the Padres got to 90 wins for the second straight year and the sixth time in franchise history. Merrill hit .275/.320/.626 in September to finish at .264/.317/.457 with 16 homers in 483 plate appearances. It’s definitely a letdown after a spectacular rookie season, but since that’ll make him a bit more affordable next spring, he should be one to target in fantasy drafts. He could easily make a run at 30 homers if he stays healthy.

Merrill got the Padres on the board and evened the score at a run apiece as he led off the second inning with a 393-foot (105.3 mph EV) solo shot off of Yoendrys Gomez. He then drew a walk in the sixth inning and scored on Ryan O’Hearn’s three-run double. Merrill also led off the eighth inning with a double off of Cam Booser and raced around to score on an RBI single off the bat of Gavin Sheets. It has been a disappointing season overall for the 22-year-old outfielder, hitting .263/.316/.455 with 15 homers, 62 RBI and one stolen base across 456 plate appearances.

Merrill had been hitting sixth or seventh for the last few weeks, but he is now on a four-game hitting streak that has seen him go 7-for-18 with two home runs and four RBI, so the Padres are likely trying to take advantage of his hot bat. Gavin Sheets will move back to sixth in the order.

Merrill has five homers, two triples and three doubles in his last nine games, raising his OPS from .713 to .766. it’s probably time for the Padres to start hitting him higher than sixth in the lineup.

It looked like this one was over early, as the Padres led 7-0 after three, but the Rockies made a game of it in the sixth and seventh, pulling within one run before the Padres scored twice in the eighth. The homer in the second inning was Merrill’s third in four games. At .753, he has his OPS over .750 for the first time since July 6.

Merrill launched a 408-foot (105.8 mph EV) solo shot off of Bradley Blalock in the third inning that extended the Padres’ lead to 5-1. That would be his lone hit in four at-bats on the night. It has been a bit of a disappointing season for the dynamic 22-year-old outfielder as he’s hitting an underwhelming .257/.313/.432 with 12 homers, 57 RBI and just one stolen base through his first 429 plate appearances.

Merrill belted the second of four total Padres’ home runs with his 372-foot (103.1 mph EV) solo shot off of Tanner Gordon in the second inning. He also singled in the fifth inning and scampered home on a wild pitch. With his three-hit afternoon, the 22-year-old outfielder is now hitting .259/.316/.414 with 10 homers, 52 RBI and one stolen base (in three attempts) over 406 plate appearances on the year.

Merrill is back from a two-week absence due to a sprained ankle. It’ll be interesting to see what the Padres do with Gavin Sheets now, considering that he was barely playing before Merrill got hurt but has been the team’s best hitter since returning to the lineup. There’s a good argument to be made for taking Luis Arraez out of the lineup to keep Sheets in there, though it’d be a surprise if the Padres went that route. Instead, Ryan O’Hearn might lose some at-bats. The Padres aren’t shedding any light on the subject today, as Merrill isn’t in the starting lineup against the Orioles.

Merrill is starting to ramp up again after hitting the injured list last weekend with a left ankle sprain. He should make it back to San Diego in early September.