Jackson Merrill’s icy Dodgers stance exposes the one mistake the Padres can’t afford

The Dodgers can win every offseason headline they want. They can collect shiny names like they’re building a fantasy roster in public. And yes… it’s annoying, because it’s them.

But San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill? He’s not doing the fan-fiction thing. And he’s certainly not spending February shadowboxing a logo.

When asked if the Dodgers’ offseason makes him want to double down and beat them even more, Merrill basically shrugged at the premise. Not in a cocky way — but in a grown-up, we’ve-got-work-to-do way. He said he doesn’t think about them or focus on them because it won’t help the Padres win. He goes into a series against L.A. like they’re any other team.

That’s a very clear way of saying “we’re not giving you free real estate.”

Padres’ fearless Jackson Merrill mindset exposes the one trap the Dodgers set for rivals

To be honest, that’s the exact posture the Padres have to adopt if they want this season to stop feeling like it’s measured against one opponent instead of the standings. Merrill nailed the psychological trap: when you focus on one team, you tighten up. You press. You play the rivalry instead of the game. You start chasing moments instead of stacking good at-bats. And that it’s the boring stuff that actually wins divisions.

Merrill also pointed out what everyone in the sport already knows — the league is filled with great pitching. It’s not just the Dodgers. Night-to-night, MLB is a grind. If you show up saving your best emotional energy for one series, you’re going to get clipped by the “random” Tuesday matchup that counts the same in October math.

The mistake the Padres can’t afford is turning the Dodgers into the season’s main character. Merrill’s stance is colder than that.

Win games. Stack series. Let the Dodgers be background noise.