Jackson Merrill’s ESPN nod gave the Padres an unmistakable reminder of what’s next

On Jan. 7, ESPN released a column that ranked the best players at every age in MLB from ages 16–25. The Padres had one of their backbones ranked particularly high for his age group, considering he missed a lot of time in 2025 with injury.

Merrill ranked second out of all players born in 2003, only placing behind Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero. Merrill ranked ahead of Athletics’ first baseman Nick Kurtz, who hit 36 home runs in his rookie campaign. Notable players such as Jackson Holliday, Eury Perez, Chase Burns, and Trey Yesavage were also named to the list.

Jackson Merrill’s ESPN moment made the Padres’ expectations feel heavier

In his rookie year, Merrill slashed .292/.326/.500 with 24 home runs, earning him the runner-up in the NL rookie of the year voting, an award taken home by Paul Skenes.

However, Merrill saw a decline in production in 2025. For starters, he missed 47 games with a slew of injuries that started with a hamstring strain sustained in April. Merrill also missed time on the concussion list, while also spraining his ankle.

In the action he saw, he slashed .264/.317/.457 with a 112 OPS+; he was still better than the league average hitter but would’ve liked to put up better numbers. Especially since he came off such a special 2024 season.

Merrill, along with Platinum Glove Award winner Fernando Tatis Jr., also provides excellent outfield defense. The pair also runs the bases very well.

Padres fans should be uber excited about having Merrill back for a full season, especially considering that the team lost multiple impact players to free agency, headlined by Dylan Cease and Ryan O’Hearn.

With Merrill returning along with Tatis, Manny Machado, and Xander Bogaerts, it is safe to say that Padres baseball will be in good hands in 2026. 

The only goal now…? Beat L.A.