2024-03-20 03:25:22
This article is compiled from What to expect from Jackson Merrill
As they were about to enter the opening game in Seoul, South Korea, the Padres’ center fielder was still vacant. In the end, they decided to entrust this important responsibility to their big shortstop.
The Padres will surrender today (3/20)Ranked 12th in the leagueRookie Jackson Merrill made his debut as the team’s starting center fielder in the opening game.
20-year-old Jackson Merrill, @MLBPipeline‘s No. 12 overall prospect, has made the @Parents Opening Day roster! #SeoulSeries pic.twitter.com/VHGMG9BPkk
— MLB (@MLB) March 20, 2024
The 20-year-old prospect becomes the latest example of baseball president AJ Preller and the Padres’ front office looking to acquire young talent early. The most famous one is that in 2019, Fernando Tatis Jr., who was only 20 years old at the time, skipped 3A and went directly to the major leagues like Merrill; CJ Abrams entered the major league stage at the age of 21 in 2022; below Looking at the levels, Ethan Salas, who is only 17 years old, had already entered 2A the previous season; and international amateur player Leodalis De Vries, who was only signed in 2024, has already entered the United States.
Merrill’s case is unique. The Padres are eager to push this young player with the 27th overall pick in the 2021 first round to the major leagues because they believe thatHe’s ready to handle pitching at the major league level。
The 6-foot-3 Merrill, who plays left-handed, had only a 12.1% strikeout rate in more than 114 games in Class 2A and Class 1A last season. What’s even more amazing is that at higher levels, his strikeout rate actually improved. (11.8%). Merrill’s high batting average was also evident in spring training, striking out just three times in 40 at-bats (7.5%), posting .351/.400/.995 with two homers and a Three doubles.
Merrill, who is from Maryland, while not prone to strikeouts,He also has very good bat control ability., can hit the ball to all directions on the court. The most significant growth last season was that his ground ball rate dropped from 59.6% in 2022 to 42.5% last year, helping him hit a career-high 15 home runs.
Jackson Merrill, @MLBPipeline‘s No. 12 prospect, homers for a second straight day 💥 pic.twitter.com/fwx3qEiufz
— MLB (@MLB) March 12, 2024
Considering that at the beginning of his career, Merrill will mostly serve as a back-end bat for the Padres, they do not need Merrill to become a long-hitting threat immediately. They prioritize hitting and on-base, allowing experienced veterans such as Xander Bogaerts, Manny Machado and Tatis Waiting and taking care of the rest is the ideal situation for the Padres. But based on Merrill’s strength, as he gains more experience, he is expected to grow into a player who can produce more than 20 home runs in a single season.
The biggest question mark for Merrill is the change in fielding position in the major leagues.
So far this year, he has made 178 of his 186 minor league starts at shortstop. While Merrill is too tall for the position, he has shown signs of improving arm strength and the agility to handle the job. But with Bogaerts signing a long-term contract and Kim Ha-sung’s defensive skills at shortstop, even if Merrill’s hitting end has reached the major league level, he will still have to move to a position outside the center of the infield with the Padres.
While he’s an average runner, Merrill should still have enough speed to serve as center fielder. Having Gold Glove outfielder Tatis in right field should help him reduce the chance of chasing the ball in the left gap. It can be said that the presence of Tatis is the key to the team’s decision to place Merrill in center field. Having said that, Merrill did not have any experience in center field in the minor leagues and only guarded a few left field positions, so his starting and judgment will obviously need more time to improve. For his part, Merrill said in spring training that he preferred center field to the corners because it was easier to judge a ball coming straight toward him than a ball going sideways or toward foul territory. .
Merrill will obviously go through a period of growing pains on the defensive end, but his outstanding performance in spring training gave the Padres confidence in him and directly pushed them toSecond famous farm tycoonTake the big stage. The industry’s current trend is to hit first, and if Merrill can still hit the ball anywhere against major league pitchers, San Diego may have discovered another homegrown young star.
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