Merrill the runner-up to Skenes for NL Rookie of the Year

Merrill the runner-up to Skenes for NL Rookie of the Year

November 19th, 2024

SAN DIEGO -- had as strong a case as anyone to end the Padres' longstanding Rookie of the Year drought.

He came up just short on Monday night.

Merrill finished second to Pittsburgh's Paul Skenes in the BBWAA's voting for the National League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award. Merrill finished with 104 voting points to Skenes' 136, while garnering seven of the 30 overall first-place votes.

Had Merrill won the award, the Padres would've received an extra Draft pick -- a Prospect Promotion Incentive selection after the first round -- because they promoted Merrill on Opening Day, and he received a full season of service time. Instead, the wait for a Rookie of the Year Award winner in San Diego continues.

No Padre has won the honor since Benito Santiago in 1987 -- the longest active drought for any club. Like Jake Cronenworth in 2020 and Khalil Greene in 2004, Merrill finished second.

But even though Merrill came up short for the award, it's hard to argue that he just posted the best rookie season in franchise history. In most seasons -- including this year in the American League -- Merrill could've been a runaway Rookie of the Year Award winner.

Over 156 games, he led all qualified Major League rookies in fWAR (5.3), hits (162), extra-base hits (61), RBIs (90), batting average (.292) and slugging percentage (.500), and he tied for first with Baltimore's Colton Cowser (who finished second for the AL Rookie of the Year Award) with 24 home runs. Merrill also played an outstanding center field, worth 12 Outs Above Average.

And, sure, the numbers are impressive. But the impact of those numbers should not be lost. Merrill was among the most clutch rookies ever. Against some of the sport's best relievers -- Mason Miller, Edwin Díaz and Blake Treinen among them -- Merrill hit five game-tying or go-ahead home runs in the ninth inning or later. He was the youngest player in the expansion era (since at least 1961) to do so, and the first rookie.

Merrill's case for the award was predicated largely on the impact of his performance, plus his longevity, having played the full season to Skenes' only 23 starts. But Skenes' numbers were excellent as well. He posted a 1.96 ERA and finished in the top three of NL Cy Young Award voting, which will be announced Wednesday.

The Padres have some candidates for down-ballot votes in both Cy Young and MVP. But their only remaining chance at hardware comes Tuesday, when Mike Shildt is up for his second NL Manager of the Year Award. (He won the 2019 edition with St. Louis.) Shildt is up against the Brewers' Pat Murphy and the Mets' Carlos Mendoza.