Why play coy? Clutch Merrill could be ROY
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SAN DIEGO -- There was a time, not very long ago, when Paul Skenes felt like a foregone conclusion to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Suddenly -- with only a month and change remaining in the season -- it’s worth wondering whether Skenes is even the frontrunner.
That’s no knock on Skenes, the Pirates’ brilliant right-hander. But on the other side of the country, Jackson Merrill is turning in one of the best rookie seasons in Padres history -- and he’s driving them toward the postseason in the process.
As he has done so often this season, Merrill delivered the decisive moment in another Padres win on Monday night. This time, it came in the bottom of the third inning of their 5-3 victory over the Twins at Petco Park.
With the bases loaded and two outs, Merrill fell behind 0-2 in the count against Minnesota right-hander Zebby Matthews. Not a problem for the wise-beyond-his-years 21-year-old, who never seems to be out of an at-bat. Merrill went with Matthews’ 0-2 changeup and laced a bases-clearing double to the opposite field -- providing three runs that proved to be decisive in the Padres’ victory.
“Once you get to two strikes, it’s just … fight,” Merrill said. “Bases loaded, two outs -- you’ve got to fight.”
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As clutch moments go, this one scored pretty low on the Jackson Merrill Scale. He already has four game-tying or go-ahead home runs in the ninth inning or later, the most in a season by a player age 21 or younger since at least 1961. Merrill always seems to find a way to put his stamp on a game.
“It’s all a focus on winning the game,” Merrill said. “Because if I’m trying to play for the homer or myself, then I roll that over or I strike out. Play for the game, try to hit a line drive or a single. If you play for the win, it’s going to happen.”
Merrill is hitting .290 with an .805 OPS. He ranks first among MLB rookies in hits (123) and RBIs (66). He also tops among qualifying rookies in batting average and slugging percentage (.483). Merrill has swiped 13 bases and has been excellent in center field, too -- despite the fact that he never played a game in center at any level until making the move from shortstop during Spring Training.
Entering Monday, Merrill topped the rookie leaderboard in wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs -- 3.7 to Skenes’ 2.6. He’s making quite a case to become the first Padre to win Rookie of the Year since Benito Santiago in 1987.
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But in the Padres’ eyes, those numbers only go so far. Take Michael King’s word for it. King -- who struggled in the first two innings Monday before turning his start around and pitching six innings of two-run ball -- called Merrill the team’s MVP. He spoke glowingly of Merrill’s impact and his energy.
Asked to quantify that energy, King had this to say:
“He’s 21 years old. Everything he does is baseball. It’s not like he has a family that he goes home to and kids that he goes and talks to. He gets to the field, and he’s so happy to be here and talks about how we’re all his best friends and we’re just having fun.
“Now me, sitting here, having a bad outing -- I look at Jackson and I’m like, ‘That’s the mentality that I need to have.’ It’s just his contagious mentality. We go out, and we’re playing a kids game, we’re loving each other. And it’s a lot easier game when you’re playing for your brothers.”
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Remember, these are the same Padres who spent the entire 2023 season trying to find a spark. A year later, they sit atop the NL Wild Card race, three games back of the Dodgers in the West.
That’s obviously not all Jackson Merrill. But his impact has been immense. Merrill’s quantifiable numbers paint an impressive Rookie of the Year case. His intangible impact might speak even louder.
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Not that he’s paying any attention, of course. Merrill has long since given his verdict on the Rookie of the Year race:
“I don't even care about that stuff,” he said in June, as he began making a push. “I care about our team right here. I care about winning here.”
He’s doing exactly that. And isn’t that sort of the point?
“All those awards are won on the field,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “And Jackson is doing his talking on the field.”