Jackson Merrill’s Padres turnaround traces back to one crucial adjustment

Padres fans can at least celebrate Jackson Merrill finally looking like Jackson Merrill again. After dragging through a miserable start to the 2026 season, the Padres’ center fielder has rediscovered the approach that made him such a dangerous hitter in the beginning. The guy is spraying the ball all over the field.

Merrill entered July batting .211, a pretty low number for a player with his natural bat-to-ball ability. His production had disappeared, and the Padres were getting little from a hitter expected to anchor their lineup.

July has given us a much different player. He now owns an .864 OPS this month, with seven of his 15 home runs coming during the turnaround. He has raised his batting average from .211 to .231 since July 1.

Using the whole field has unlocked Jackson Merrill’s power

It’s nice to see him using the entire field. He’s pulling pitches he can drive, shooting liners through the middle, and has even launched a couple of oppo tacos. This is the version of Merrill the Padres wanted and expected to walk into this season.

There’s no obvious way to pitch him when he’s locked in. His early-season slump made him look like a hitter searching for damage on every swing. In July, he’s letting the pitch dictate where the ball goes, and the power has followed naturally.

The .231 batting average still isn’t pretty. He still has plenty of work ahead before his full-season numbers resemble what the Friars envisioned. July has at least delivered tangible progress. We shouldn’t credit his resurgence for the Padres’ sweep of Miami, the Marlins have lost 12 straight and failed to score more than three runs in any game of the series. Merrill still did his part, supplying offense during a series the Padres desperately needed as the trade deadline approaches with uncertainty hanging over the club.

The better hitter is showing up, but that doesn’t mean better days are ahead for the franchise this season. The hits are falling for Merrill, and the home runs are piling up. They just need some more production throughout the lineup to follow. For now, July will be remembered as the month Merrill found himself. 

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