When the San Diego Padres selected Jackson Merrill in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft, they weren’t just betting on talent-they were investing in a player they believed could be a cornerstone. And if you know anything about Padres general manager A.J.
Preller, you know he doesn’t make those decisions lightly. There’s even a now-legendary scouting tale that perfectly captures just how much Preller valued Merrill from the jump.
In a move straight out of a spy novel, Preller tried to watch Merrill from the bleachers of a nearby football stadium to avoid tipping off rival scouts. He got spotted, of course, but the message was clear: Merrill was a player worth keeping an eye on-and keeping close.
That mindset held firm when the Padres went all-in to acquire Juan Soto. Amid all the trade pieces shuffled around, Merrill’s name was never on the table.
He was the one prospect deemed untouchable. And now, it’s easy to see why.
Fast forward to Spring Training in 2024. Merrill arrived as a shortstop-that’s the only position he’d ever really known.
But with Xander Bogaerts locked into a long-term deal at short, the Padres saw a different path forward. They approached Merrill with a bold request: learn the outfield.
Not just any outfield spot-center field, one of the most demanding positions on the diamond. Merrill didn’t blink.
He embraced the challenge, learned the ropes on the fly, and by the end of camp, he had turned enough heads that veterans like Manny Machado went to bat for him with the front office. The message?
This kid needs to be on the Opening Day roster. And not just on the roster-starting in center.
What followed was one of the most impressive rookie campaigns we’ve seen in recent memory. Merrill played in 156 games, slashed .292/.326/.500 with an .826 OPS, crushed 24 home runs, drove in 90 runs, and racked up a 4.4 WAR. That earned him a Silver Slugger, an All-Star nod, and a runner-up finish for NL Rookie of the Year, just behind Pirates phenom Paul Skenes.
But the Padres didn’t wait for the rest of the league to catch up to what they already knew. Even before Merrill’s breakout season, Preller was working behind the scenes to lock him up long-term.
It didn’t happen right away, but persistence paid off. In April of 2025, Merrill signed a nine-year, $135 million extension.
The deal includes a $10 million signing bonus spread over four years, with escalators tied to plate appearances and MVP finishes. There’s a team option for 2035 that can turn into a player option, making it potentially a 10-year, $204 million commitment.
Now, 2025 wasn’t all smooth sailing. Merrill battled injuries and frustration, but even in a tough year, he flashed the kind of elite upside that makes scouts and fans alike dream big.
Down the stretch, once healthy, he found his groove again. Over his final 158 plate appearances, he launched nine homers, smacked 11 doubles, and posted a max exit velocity of 110.4 mph.
In his last 30 games, he hit .289/.325/.623 with a .948 OPS-numbers that remind you just how dangerous he can be when locked in.
Heading into his age-23 season, Merrill is poised to pick up where he left off. With a clean bill of health and a normal spring, there’s every reason to believe he could become the face of the franchise by year’s end. MLB Network already has him ranked as the second-best center fielder in the game by analytics, and he was the top pick of host Brian Kenney.
In a winter dominated by mega-deals and free agent fireworks, Padres fans can take comfort in knowing they’ve already secured a foundational piece. Merrill is a five-tool player with leadership instincts, a team-first attitude, and a genuine love for San Diego.
He didn’t have to sign early. He could’ve waited, gone year-to-year through arbitration, and cashed in big down the line.
But he chose loyalty. He chose stability.
He chose the Padres.
It’s hard not to draw parallels to Tony Gwynn. Gwynn famously turned down bigger offers to stay in San Diego, prioritizing legacy and loyalty over dollar signs.
Merrill’s decision to commit early echoes that same sentiment. He’s made it clear: he wants to be a Padre for life.
If he plays out the full length of his contract, he’ll be 33 by the time it ends-still young enough to write another chapter. But even now, it feels like we’re watching something special unfold. A homegrown star with elite tools, a team-first mindset, and the kind of quiet confidence that draws teammates in and fans closer.
Jackson Merrill might just be the next great Padre. And if things break right, he could be the kind of player we talk about for decades.