Padres Star Praises Jackson Merrill Despite Hitless Debut

Merrill earns praise after MLB debut.

Though the San Diego Padres fell short of a win against the Los Angeles Dodgers in their regular season opener, one highlight of the game was Jackson Merrill making his MLB debut. The former top prospect for the Padres was named the team's starting center fielder, a huge accomplishment for the 20-year-old.

It was far from the perfect debut from Merrill, who was unable to notch a hit in his first MLB game. However, Merrill still earned the praise of teammate Xander Bogaerts. 

“Merrill, man, I mean, he played a really solid game. He’s going up against a guy that’s pretty tough. … I’m hitting first, he’s hitting ninth, so I really got to see (Glasnow) good. And I mean, this kid, I know there’s no hits in there for him, but the kid is a good one. He did his job.”

— Xander Bogaerts, via

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The debut was extra special as Merrill officially joined Ken Griffey Jr. and Andruw Jones as the third player to start at center field in the season opener before turning 21. 

Despite not earning a hit, Merrill called getting that start "an honor" after making his debut.

“It’s an honor to be part of the small group I’ve seen — 20 years or younger ... But I’m just excited to get going. Excited for the season to get going, see what the team can bring to the table and see how we can compete as a squad together.”

— Jackson Merrill, via

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The good news is Merrill will have plenty of time to get hits during the rest of the regular season. However, making his first start against a tough Dodgers team and pitcher Tyler Glasnow was far from easy. 

He still put some good swings on the ball, which is a great sign for the rest of his season and beyond.