The San Diego Padres have been struggling to score runs, and Merrill is one of several underperforming players.
The San Diego Padres have been struggling to score runs, and center fielder Jackson Merrill has been a big part of the problem.
His issues haven’t gotten as much play as the power outage of second baseman Fernando Tatis Jr. or the ongoing slump that’s sent the average of third baseman Manny Machado well below the Mendoza line, but Merrill was expected to step up and become the Padres’ third star, and so far it hasn’t happened.
Merrill is well aware of the problems throughout the lineup, but as the youngest player in the lineup he’s trying to stay out of the spotlight.
“I don’t really want to present myself in the clubhouse and be kind of like a problem,” Merrill said before Wednesday’s game in a piece written by Dennis Lin of The Athletic. “I don’t want to affect anybody else’s performance, so I’m pretty patient, pretty (keep) to myself about everything kind of going on. I’m working my [expletive] off to get back to a point I want to be at.”
Merrill is also aware of the urgency, which is a constant question now. Yesterday’s loss put the Padres in a flat-footed tie for second place in the NL West, which is startling given how consistently San Diego has been able to stay afloat and win games.
“I’ve felt urgency to get out of it for a while now,” Merrill said. “You know, it could be more than eight games above .500, so I don’t know. I just want to get out of this as soon as possible and obviously stay as patient as I can.”
Merrill is one of the most aggressive hitters in the lineup, and as a rookie that served him well. His chase rate has always been above average, but pitchers have been getting him to expand to the point where he, too, has been down around the Mendoza line lately.
Manager Craig Stammen has been watching Merrill on the field for the first time this year, and he pinpointed the issue as consistency.
“It’s one of those situations where, like, ‘I’m going to be really stingy right here.’ Then he takes one down the middle, and then the next one he swings at the dirt,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said after Tuesday’s game. “And it’s ‘Don’t swing, don’t swing,’ and all of a sudden you’re swinging.”
Merrill still sees the problem in terms of ups and downs, and that’s an issue, too. Explanations like that are fine for a bad week or two, but over time they quickly wear thin.
“I don’t know,” Merrill said. “It’s just like ups and downs. I feel good in some spots, and I’m not getting hits, and I feel bad in some spots, and I’m getting hits. And it’s like wanting to get on the same page as, honestly, myself. Be one person at the plate the entire time. Go up with a good approach every time and execute.”
Lin pointed out that Merrill has been robbed of home runs four times this year, but that’s not much comfort. Every hitter gets robbed over the course of a long season, and right now the numbers speak for themselves.
“I feel like I’ve improved in a lot of areas,” Merrill said. “Just want the bat to come back and all will be well, honestly. I think it’s huge for the team, too. I feel like I lead by example, and I need to start doing that again.”
