Padres' Jackson Merrill Impresses Former Rookie of the Year, MVP

Maren Angus-Coombs | Aug 15, 2024

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

When the season began, baseball insiders thought the National League Rookie of the Year would be awarded to Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Chicago Cubs starter Shota Imanaga, or Pittsburgh's flamethrowing right-hander Paul Skenes.

As of now, it is Jackson Merrill's to lose.

Fred Lynn, a nine-time All-Star, the first player to be given the award and be named MVP in the same season as a member of the 1975 Red Sox, told Bryce Miller of the San Diego Union-Tribune to start engraving.

“(Merrill) wins by a mile,” Lynn said. “He’s an everyday player. He would get my vote all day long. Against a starting pitcher? C’mon.

Lynn was a center fielder in his playing days and made his major league debut at the age of 22. He admits might be biased about position players but Merill's play on the field speaks for himself.

Included on Merrill's rookie resumé are five game-tying or go-ahead home runs in the eighth inning or later this season which ties him with Mel Ott for the second most at 21 or younger since 1900, according to Elias Sports.

“That’s pretty heady stuff,” Lynn said. “It tells me he’s not afraid of big moments.”

Lynn is more impressed with how Merrill is performing because of how the scheduling is. When Lynn played in the major leagues from from 1974 to 1990, teams played their own division more than those who weren't.

“We played division teams three times each, home and away,” Lynn said. “So after a month or two, you knew the ballparks and pitchers. Now they play everywhere. He’s learning all those parks, all those pitchers.

“You have no time to breathe because every day is a new experience. I’m very impressed with him.”

Jackson Merrill is so good. Incredible in the clutch, at the plate and in center field, a position he never played until spring training this year. A star in the making. https://t.co/i1pA83O1JI

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 13, 2024

Merrill never played center field before this season. He was an infielder, shortstop specifically, and appeared in five Double-A games as a left fielder. He also skipped Triple-A completely.

“We played division teams three times each, home and away,” Lynn said. “So after a month or two, you knew the ballparks and pitchers. Now they play everywhere. He’s learning all those parks, all those pitchers.

“You have no time to breathe because every day is a new experience. I’m very impressed with him.”

For Merrill to be in the position other things had to happen and Lynn acknowledged that in his interview. This conversation was a few hits away from not happening.

“It’s the needs of the club and timing,” Lynn said. “If that’s a stacked outfield, if (traded Gold Glove center fielder Trent) Grisham hit .250 instead of .200, he’d still be here. Sometimes you get a break. It’s what you do with it when you get it.

“He’s done something with it.”