Jackson Merrill finished second in the race for the National League Rookie of the Year Award, falling behind Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes.
The San Diego Padres outfielder’s debut season caught the attention of the Major Leagues, but he is already thinking about how to improve in 2025. Although Merill’s batting performance was one of the best on the Padres, he plans to be more patient at the plate in his second season.
“I’m still going to be aggressive,” Merrill said to MLB insider AJ Cassavell. “But I’m just going to eliminate certain spots. I’m going to know where pitches are starting, where they’re going to finish. I’m going to do a lot more homework this year.”
Merill slashed .292/.326/.500 while hitting 24 home runs in his rookie season. He also led San Diego in doubles (31), triples (6), and slugging percentage in 2024.
The 2021 first-round draft pick accumulated multiple awards for his offensive and defensive prowess, including the first NL All-Star and NL Silver Slugger selections of his career. With a full MLB season under his belt, Merrill will be able to build upon the batting success he had in his first year.
“It’s not like it’s going to happen overnight,” Merrill said to Cassavell. “It’s going to take reps, and it’s going to take patience. I need to feel it out. I think this spring is a good time to work on it — try to get deeper into counts.”
The Padres started Cactus League games Friday. Merill did not make an appearance in San Diego’s first game against the Seattle Mariners, where the Padres won 5-2. Instead, several new players and top prospects like No. 1 Ethan Salas played the majority of the game.
But, in San Diego’s second spring training game against the Oakland Athletics, Merrill went 1-for-2 at the plate and recorded two RBIs to help the Padres win 10-3.
In addition to a reliable bat, Merrill contributes to the Padres defensively at center field. He was the everyday center fielder last season alognside Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jurickson Profar.
Profar’s departure to the Atlanta Braves in free agency left a void in the Padres outfield. Recently signed free agent outfielders Jason Heyward and Connor Joe will likely fill in for Profar in left field.
Merill will continue to serve as a regular in the outfield for the Padres, while getting the opportunity to incorporate patience into his batting strategy.