San Diego Padres’ Jackson Merrill Signing Big Extension
He had quite the impressive rookie season last year. His playing was highly regarded by his fellow players who voted for him to be Rookie of the Year. However, he ended up finishing second in the balloting to the Pirates’ Paul Skenes who claimed the honor. Nevertheless, his first year playing professional baseball was undeniably a great one. He loved playing with his teammates and let it be known that he wanted to be a Padre for life. Now he’s well on his way to doing that as the San Diego Padres’ Jackson Merrill is signing a big extension with the team.
On Wednesday morning, the 21-year-old center fielder put the finishing touches on a nine-year contract extension with San Diego. More details about the deal were provided on the team’s website:
“The extension, which will guarantee Merrill $135 million, according to a source, will begin next season and run through the 2034 campaign. The deal also includes a club option for 2035.”
The Padres are off to a hot start this season, currently sitting with a 6-0 record. That’s something the team has never accomplished in its history. And Merrill is very much a part of that success. Last year he had arguably the best rookie season for any Padres player. He was a first-round draft pick by the Padres in 2021 as a shortstop, but was moved to center field. Despite the change in position, Merrill excelled at center field ranking sixth among all center fielders last season.
He was great on offense, excelling at the plate, winning a Silver Slugger award after hitting .292 with 24 home runs and 90 RBI. And he was was named to the National League All-Star team.
San Diego Padres’ Jackson Merrill Signing Big Extension
But Merrill has no plans to rest on his laurels. In a recent mlb.com interview, he said, “Last year was great, and it was fun, and there were so many cool moments. But overall, I can be better. Being more consistent is where I want to be. I had slumps — nothing huge. … But this year, I’m more focused on: Let’s stay consistent. Let’s find a way to walk, to get on base. Let’s still impact it.”
He’s young and hungry which should petrify the rest of the league. And having experienced teammates like Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts can only help him get even better. I’m definitely excited to see what more “Merrill Madness” will be accomplished in the future. And we know exactly where he will be doing it for the next nine years. Congrats on the extension Jackson!
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