Jackson Merrill proves extension worthwhile in Game 3 despite Padres' season-ending loss

And just like that, the San Diego Padres' 2025 season has come to an end. Falling, 3-1 to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Thursday night, the Friars lost a best-of-3 series to the NL Central runner-up. It's disappointing. It's definitely not as far as most fans thought they would go, but this is unfortunately the reality.

The Padres scored five total runs in the three games, leaving much to be desired about their postseason performance. One bright spot, if Padres fans can stomach a moment of positivity, is that Jackson Merrill showed up in this series.

Merrill scored two of the team's five runs, and he also drove in two runs. That's not a bad showing for the Padres sophomore, and at least fans can drift into the offseason knowing that Merrill's contract extension this season was worth it.

With the Padres trailing by three runs going into the ninth inning of Game 3, Merrill lofted a leadoff home run to right field, igniting some life into San Diego's dugout. They were lifeless at the plate up until that point, and San Diego actually started rallying after Merrill's round-tripper.

Merrill would finish the NL Wild Card Series batting 3-for-9 with a walk to cap a muchbetter season than we may have thought. Merrill sustained three injuries in 2025: Right hamstring strain, concussion, and left ankle sprain. Despite all of that, he still mustered a 112 OPS+ with 47 extra-base hits. Those are well-above average numbers across 115 games, but his semi-heroism in the postseason confirmed that his nine-year, $135 million extension was definitely worth signing in the long run.

This loss will sting Padres fans for a while. The lineup just couldn't string together many hits at a time, and that will keep the Friar faithful up at night for quite some time. Fans can find solace in knowing that Jackson Merrill, a core piece to this franchise for at least the next decade, is built for the postseason.

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