Young Padres star Jackson Merrill cracks Buster Olney's elite center fielder rankings, showcasing explosive talent and game-changing defensive plays.
San Diego Padres youngster Jackson Merrill has gotten off to a hot start in his MLB career.
Merrill was selected 27th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft as a shortstop, but the Padres decided to transition him to center field.
Fernando Tatis Jr. also made the move from shortstop to the outfield, and with Xander Bogaerts at shortstop for years to come, finding a way to get Merrill everyday at-bats was a priority.
Well, Merrill has been stellar in the outfield so far.
ESPN's Buster Olney ranked the best centerfielders in MLB, and Merrill landed at No. 5 on the list.
Here is Olney's top 10:
- Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners
- Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs
- Daulton Varsho, Toronto Blue Jays
- Byron Buxton, Minneota Twins
- Jackson Merrill, San Diego Padres
- Ceddanne Rafaela, Boston Red Sox
- Trent Grisham, New York Yankees
- Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves
- Luis Robert Jr., New York Mets
- Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers
Honorable Mentions: Colton Cowser (Orioles), Jake Meyers (Astros) TJ Friedl (Reds), Cedric Mullins (Rays) and Jakob Marsee (Marlins).
Also, former Padre Trent Grisham is here.
Here is what Olney wrote about Merrill in the outfield:
"With a full, healthy year, he might well challenge Rodriguez for the No. 1 spot on this list next year."
That's a bold claim, but Merrill is that special.
He had three different stints on the IL in 2025, yet he still hit well, batting .264 with 16 home runs and 67 RBIs with a .774 OPS.
And, well, there were plenty of highlight grabs in the outfield.
Here's another one as Merrill robbed Arizona Diamondbacks star Corbin Carroll of a home run.
Merrill decided not to play in the World Baseball Classic, although he might've been an easy choice for Mark DeRosa if the Padres star wanted to participate.
Merrill also made MLB Network's top 100 rankings going into the 2026 season.
The Padres' young outfielder finished second in 2024 in National League Rookie of the Year voting, losing to Pittsburgh Pirates sensation Paul Skenes.
In 2024, Merrill played in 156 games, hitting 24 home runs with 90 RBIs and 16 stolen bases, but he played in just 115 games in 2025 due to several injuries.
As Olney said, if Merrill is healthy and can take another step forward in Year 3, he could enter the 2027 season as one of the top-three, and Olney even said he could challenge Mariners star Julio Rodriguez for the top spot, which would be quite something.
For manager Craig Stammen, it remains to be seen where Merrill will slot in the batting order, but wherever he is, he should be productive and give the lineup a jolt with stars such as Tatis and Manny Machado around him.