Former MVP Chooses Padres CF Over Pirates' Paul Skenes
Paul Skenes faces an uphill climb if he's going to become the second player in franchise history to win the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year.
Skenes has been nothing short of stellar, but San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill has been a driving force on a team that's nearly a lock to make the playoffs. Former Philadelphia Phillies shortstop and MVP Jimmy Rollins weighed in on the race, and while he noted Skenes has lived up to the lofty expectations placed upon him from the moment he was drafted, Merrill's impact as a position player in a playoff race tilts the tide in his favor.
"I really do like Skenes," Rollins said on Bleacher Report's podcast Walk Off. "He's come up, and he's been everything is advertised, no doubt about it. And I won't take into consideration where the teams are in the standings. But Jackson Merrill, the way he's come out all season long, clutch hits, timely hits with two outs, walk-offs, grand slams and things of that nature. It's hard to overlook that. Maybe I'm biased, but a position player, you run out there every single day with the chance to affect the game on the offensive side and defensive side."
Rollins played 17 years in the big leagues, 15 of which came with Philadelphia. The former Phillies shortstop won the MVP in 2007 after he batted .294 and hit 30 home runs and drove in 94 RBIs.
Skenes has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since being called up in May. He's 10-2 in 20 starts with a 2.10 ERA and has struck out 151 batters over 120 innings. His 151 strikeouts are a franchise record for the Pirates. Pittsburgh (70-76) has gone 13-7 in the games Skenes has started.
Skenes' start to his career was enough to land him on the All-Star team and he made the start for the National League.
Merrill has been stellar in his own right, as he has batted .287, hit 23 home runs and drove in 83 RBIs. He has also been a tremendous fielder and leads NL center fielders with eight assists
Merrill's impact as a position player on a playoff team can't be understated. Rollins later Merrill playing every day also factored into him giving the Padres center fielder the slight edge over Skenes.
"It's the daily grind of there are no off days, win or loss. 0-for-4 [or] 4-for-4, you're showing up again tomorrow, and he's found a way to come through and without him, I don't know if that seems in position. They had the confidence to go get a bullpen to solidify things on the back end. But without Jackson Merrill, I'm not sure San Diego's in that position. So because of that, he gets the nod for me."
