Padres' Jackson Merrill Earns Prestigious Honor as Rookie

Maren Angus-Coombs | Jul 8, 2024

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Jackson Merrill made San Diego Padres history on Sunday, when he became the team's first rookie to ever make an All-Star team. He will join three of his teammates in Arlington for the Midsummer Classic.

In true Merrill form, he said he couldn't care less about the All-Star Game. He was still upset about the team's 9-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“Maybe, maybe there will be a second when I think of it,” Merrill said. “But I was (ticked) off today when we lost, regardless of what I got told today. My mind is always focused on the team over myself individually.”

Merrill's journey to the Midsummer Classic is uncommon. He’d never played above Double-A, moved to center field in spring training to replace two-time Gold Glover Trent Grisham, broke camp with the big league club, and became the starting center fielder at 20 years old. Merrill will be the youngest player at 21 years and 88 days when the game is played on July 16.

Players younger than Jackson Merrill (21 years, 88 days old next Tuesday) to appear in an All-Star Game, last 40 seasons:

Bryce Harper
Ivan Rodriguez
Ken Griffey Jr.
Mike Trout
Alex Rodriguez
José Fernández
Manny Machado
Miguel Cabrera

— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) July 7, 2024

The rookie, who is hitting .288/.322/.452 with 12 homers, is extremely deserving of this honor. When the news of his selection was revealed to the team, the attention was all on him.

“Lot of love,” Joe Musgrove said of the reveal of Merrill making the NL’s All-Star team. “It was like the biggest response from a team for somebody getting selected. Everyone was feeling and showing the way they felt about it. It was one of the most exciting ones I’ve seen.”

Added Luis Arraez: “I was happy when I saw his face. I thought he was going to cry. … He deserves it.”

Arraez and Robert Suarez were also named All-Stars and will join Merrill, Jurickson Profar, and Fernando Tatis Jr. in Texas.