Inside The Padres

Padres’ Jackson Merrill Joins Elite Company After Winning Major Award

Maren Angus-Coombs

Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images
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San Diego Padres rookie outfielder Jackson Merrill picked up a historic Silver Slugger Award win on Tuesday night.

Read more: Padres Dominate Silver Slugger Awards as 3 Friars Take Home Honor

MLB.com’s Sarah Langs noted in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that since the Silver Slugger Award began in 1980, only 16 rookies have earned the honor. Among them, just five were outfielders, with Merrill joining the ranks of Julio Rodríguez, Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, and Ichiro Suzuki.

At 21 years old, Merrill delivered an impressive debut season, posting a .292 batting average, hitting 24 home runs, 31 doubles, and six triples, and recording 90 RBIs, 16 stolen bases, an .826 OPS, and a 4.4 WAR over 156 games.

Merrill stands as the second-youngest outfielder ever to receive a Silver Slugger, trailing Mike Trout by just 107 days. According to Langs, only Fernando Valenzuela and Alex Rodriguez were younger than Merrill when they won, while Albert Pujols now ranks as the fifth-youngest recipient.

Merrill made his MLB debut in Korea during the season-opening Seoul Series, starting in center field. This achievement was notable as he became just the third player, alongside Andruw Jones and Ken Griffey Jr., to start in center field on Opening Day before turning 21.

What might be even more impressive is Merrill had been a lifelong shortstop before the Padres moved him to center field during spring training.

By the end of the season, Merrill topped all MLB rookies in hits (162), extra-base hits (61), RBIs (90), batting average (.292), and slugging percentage (.500). He also tied for first in home runs with 24, sharing the top spot with Baltimore’s Colton Cowser.

Merrill is also a finalist for the National League Rookie of the Year. The winner will be announced on Nov. 18.

Third baseman Manny Machado and left fielder Jurickson Profar also won Silver Sluggers.

Machado claimed his second Silver Slugger after finishing the season with 29 home runs, 105 RBIs, and a .275/.325/.472 batting line. His performance improved significantly in the second half as he recovered from offseason elbow surgery, with his OPS rising from .742 before the All-Star break to .876 in the final 61 games.

Profar had a breakout year, posting a .280/.380/.459 line with 24 home runs and 85 RBIs, earning his first All-Star selection at 31 years old.

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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. Despite being raised in the South, her sports obsession has always been in Los Angeles. She is currently a staff writer for the LA Sports Report Network.

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