When the San Diego Padres drafted Jackson Merrill in the first round of the 2021 MLB draft there was a good story told about Merrill’s pursuit by Padres general manager and president of baseball operations AJ Preller. That story was told again when Merrill signed his contract extension through 2025. Preller, in an effort not to give other scouts his target, tried to watch Merrill from the bleachers of the football field near where the baseball game was being played. He was caught and had to try to keep his true intention a secret while sweet-talking his way out of the situation.
In the deal Preller made to bring in star outfielder Juan Soto, Merrill was intentionally left out. He was seen as an “untouchable” figure in the San Diego program that would not be part of the package.
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When Merrill arrived at Padres Spring Training in February of 2024 he was a shortstop. He was a shortstop throughout his professional and high school careers. The Padres had shortstop, and Xander Bogaerts was signed to a massive multi-year contract to play that position. At the start of practice in Peoria, Preller and the Padres staff talked to Merrill about learning to play the outfield, initially leaving the outfield before eventually settling in center. He was determined and learned to stand on the fly throughout that spring. At the end of Spring training, Manny Machado and other Padres veterans approached the Padres coaching staff and Preller to ask Merrill to make the opening day roster…. as a middle player.
The 2024 season was a huge success for center fielder Jackson Merrill. He played in 156 games with a .292/.326/.500 batting line and an .826 OPS. He hit 24 homers with 90 RBI and finished the season with a 4.4 WAR, a Silver Slugger Award, an All-Star selection and a runner-up finish to Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes for Rookie of the Year.
Preller began trying to sign Merrill to a long-term contract before his rookie season. Although he didn’t succeed at first, he kept trying. In April 2025, just before the new season, the Padres announced a nine-year, $135 million contract extension for Merrill. It included a $10 million signing bonus spread over four years with $1 million in 2025 and $3 million in 2026, 2027 and 2028 and escalators over time with plate appearances and top five MVP finishes. The Padres have a team option in 2035, and Merrill can play that into a player option. In total, it would be a 10-year deal for $204 million.
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Although the 2025 season has been frustrating and injury-riddled for Merrill, there are doubts in many corners of MLB that he will return this season. Entering his age-23 season, Merrill can work to carry the momentum he’s built into late 2025 when he’s finally healthy. In his final 158 plate appearances, Merrill hit nine homers and 11 doubles and had a top exit velocity of 110.4 mph. In his last 30 games, he hit .289/.325/.623 with a .948 OPS.
With just a little luck and regular spring training, Merrill could be the face of this franchise by the end of this season. When MLB Network ranked its best outfielders for 2025, Merrill was ranked second in their analysis and was chosen first by the show’s host, Brian Kenney.
While fans are looking at the big contracts offered in free agency this offseason, Padres fans need to realize that we have a millionaire in Merrill. With five tools and a will to win as well as leadership qualities and loyalty to his teammates and the city, Merrill can evoke memories of Tony Gwynn in fans.
Gwynn turned down big money in free agency, despite his father’s pleas, and accepted a below-market deal to stay in San Diego and become a Padre (a six-year, $4.6 million contract in 1985 and a three-year, $12.25 million contract in 1991). It doesn’t take much thinking to figure out that Merrill could have waited until later in his career to sign an extension and get more. Or he could play out his arbitration age and sign a big free agent contract. He chose to sign early, stating his desire to play in San Diego for the rest of his career and saying how grateful he was for the faith Preller and the Padres had in him.
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Merrill is a unicorn in modern baseball. While playing for one team throughout a career is rare, there’s a chance Padres fans can see that in Merrill. He will be 33 years old if he plays out the entire contract. There may be more for him to do after that, but let’s hope he has great success as a Padre for many years to come and ends up here, in San Diego, as he wishes.
I think Tony Gwynn would agree.
