The San Diego Padres have plenty of good players who go under the radar. Third baseman Manny Machado and right fielder Fernando Tatis, Jr. supply most of the star power, but the power numbers of both players are down from their usual production levels.
Enter centerfielder Jackson Merrill. His sophomore slump has been defined by struggles with hamstring issues, ankle problems and concussion recovery, but Merrill’s recent power surge could easily make him a postseason X factor.
Specifically, Merrill has now homered in three straight games, and he’s had five home runs in the last ten. His home run in last night’s 8-3 loss to the New York Mets didn’t mean much, but it landed on the black center-field backdrop at Citi Field. That’s some serious power, and the Padres need all they can get as they try to overtake the Dodgers in the NL West.
Incredibly, Merrill has done this sort of thing before. During his rookie year, he hit seven homers over ten games, so when he gets hot, watch out. He’s more than capable of carrying the club with that kind of production, and this is exactly the right time for him to step up and do just that.
Merrill is also fulfilling the impressive promise he displayed as a rookie. After switching positions from shortstop to center field, Merrill hit .292 with 24 home runs and 90 RBIs, and he also stole 16 bases while playing in 156 games. Merrill finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting, losing out to star pitcher Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
His defensive metrics have also been impressive. Patrolling center field at spacious Petco Park is a tough job, but Merrill had eight outfield assists last year while committing just three errors. His defensive metrics have been spottier this year given the injuries, but he's still rated as a plus defender, and Merrill's impressive athleticism continues to play.
Currently, Merrill’s big weakness surfaces in his splits. To some extent he profiles as a platoon player, having hit just .240 against left-handers last year with a slugging percentage of only .370. His splits this year are similar, and this is the one area where the Padres would like him to improve as he gets healthy and continues to learn the league.
The big numbers for Merrill right now are in the power department, however, and Padres fans are hoping he can stay hot and continue his remarkable recent surge.