National Reporter Picks Surprise Padres Standout to Win Major Award

Jeremy Hanna | Aug 14, 2024

Aug 9, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill (3) celebrates his home run against the Miami Marlins in the ninth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports / Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports

The San Diego Padres are slowly sneaking up on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.

After sweeping the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, the Padres are 69-53, tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for second in the National League West. That's only three games behind the Dodgers, who are playing the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.

While many players have contributed to the Padres' recent success, including Luis Arraez and Jurickson Profar, a major contributor has been rookie Jackson Merrill.

Chosen by the Padres with the 27th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, Merrill made his debut against the Dodgers in the Seoul Series in March. Almost five months later, he's a National League All-Star and one of the league's best outfielders.

This season, Merrill is hitting .289/.321/.479 with 17 home runs, 64 RBI, and 13 stolen bases. He has also proven to be an outstanding outfielder, making some truly incredible catches. It's no wonder he was named as a reserve player in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game.

Because of this, Merrill has become a surprise contender for National League Rookie of the Year after Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Shota Imanaga of the Chicago Cubs were long considered the favorites to win the award.

During an appearance on the Foul Territory podcast, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic revealed that Merrill would be his choice if he voted today.

"I would say that we'd have to wait until the end of the season. It's only fair, that's when you judge the entirety of a campaign," Rosenthal said. "But given all that, my preference in this case, much as it is for an MVP, is for the position player."

"Particularly when you see what Merrill has done lately, last night's game saving catch, all the game time and go ahead home runs. Just the clutch play that he has given the Padres, who have surged remarkably in recent weeks. He, to me, is a remarkable story."

If the season were to end today, who would be @Ken_Rosenthal's pick for NL Rookie of the Year? pic.twitter.com/i4z5aik9vl

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) August 13, 2024

"And if you look at where he was going into spring training, he had played only a little bit above A-ball. He had never played center field. And yet he made the opening roster as a center fielder, has had some ups and downs offensively, but my goodness, he's probably a guy who's going to win some MVP votes now."

Rosenthal then gave compliments to Skenes and Imanaga while noting two other rookies who stood out: Jackson Chourio of the Milwaukee Brewers and Masyn Winn of the St. Louis Cardinals. Still, if he were to vote today, Rosenthal said Jackson Merrill is his top choice for NL Rookie of the Year.

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