San Diego Padres rookie outfielder Jackson Merrill was their top prospect to conclude the 2023 season for a reason.
The former first-round pick is seen as a potential five-tool player. He’s displayed this to an extent at times during his rookie season.
However, Wednesday’s outing against the lowly Oakland Athletics could give us a glimpse into the future. Merrill belted a homer against starter Hogan Harris in the fifth inning. It represented his fourth homer of the season.
With the game tied at four in the bottom of the ninth, Merrill took to the plae against dominating closer Mason Miller. What followed was a walk-off homer, and his second of the game. The scene was absolutely electric inside Petco Park.
Talk about knowing that it was gone. Merrill just stood there and admired his shot.
- Jackson Merrill stats (2024): .279 average, 5 HR, 26 RBI, .703 OPS
Per MLB.com, Merrill is the youngest player in the divisional era to hit multiple homers, including a walk-off, in the same game.
He’s also the youngest player in San Diego Padres history to hit a walk-off homer.
Talk about making a statement.
For San Diego, this also represented the second conscutive walk-off against Oakland as the team completed its first sweep of the season.