Jackson Merrill Is Powering Up

Jackson Merrill has been powering up for the Padres. Over his last 18 games, the 21-year-old rookie outfielder has homered nine times while slashing a robust .343/.371/.791 with a 228 wRC+. His seasonal numbers aren’t nearly as stellar — the second coming of Barry Bonds he’s not — but they are good enough to have him firmly in contention for NL Rookie of the Year honors at the halfway mark. San Diego’s hot-hitting youngster has a dozen dingers to go with a 125 wRC+ and a .291/.325/.459 slash line. Moreover, his 2.5 WAR is tied for tops (along with Milwaukee’s Joey Ortiz) among first-year players in the senior circuit.

For a few years now, one of Merrill’s goals — and expectations — has been to hit for more power than many people projected he would when he was drafted 27th overall in 2021. When I talked to him for Sunday Notes during the 2022 Arizona Fall League season, the Baltimore native told me that he could “definitely drive the ball,” adding that he was looking to get stronger and produce more pop going forward. When the Padres visited Fenway Park last weekend, I asked Merrill how he feels he’s progressed in that area.

“It’s not trying to force extra power, it’s just kind of getting adjusted to the pitching and letting it come naturally,” said Merrill, who proceeded to punish Red Sox pitching to the tune of 15 total bases over three games. “When I first got up here, I was still getting accustomed to everything, and getting my timing and my pitch selection right. The power comes naturally when you get your swing feeling good and are putting the barrel on the ball more.”

Merrill showed signs of what was to come last season. His left-handed stroke produced 44 extra-base hits, including 15 home runs, between High-A Fort Wayne and Double-A San Antonio. Notable in that last sentence was the higher of the two levels. When he broke camp with San Diego in March — the Padres played the Los Angeles Dodgers in South Korea to begin the season — it was sans Triple-A experience. Making his transition even more impressive is the fact that Merrill — the youngest player currently on a major league roster other than Milwaukee’s Jackson Chourio — was primarily a shortstop prior to this year, and he is now playing exclusively in center field.

His precocious success against big league pitchers is coming with a swing that has “really always stayed the same.” Merrill has tinkered with his timing mechanism, but when push comes to shove he generally reverts back to what has traditionally worked best. He did just that earlier this season.

“I had a little bit of a toe tap last year, and at the beginning of this year,” Merrill explained. “I was trying to get more timing, more feel in my legs, but now that I’ve got that feel, I’m back to just one smooth, short, move forward. I probably won’t go back to the tap. I think the tap is a common denominator when it comes to being late. I think I’m late a lot with it, because some pitchers are quicker to the plate and are harder to time up. Just having the one move is easier.”

His body in motion is sturdier than it was when some evaluators were questioning his power potential. Still listed at 195 pounds by most publications, Merrill actually now tips the scales at 208, a weight he feels is currently a good fit for his 6-foot-3 frame. And while bulking up further isn’t an intention, he does expect it to happen. As Merrill put it, “Being 21, I’m going to put on weight naturally in the next five years. Hopefully I’ll get a little stronger as I do.”

Which brings us to the approach that helps him bash baseballs. Merrill is looking to drive pitches to all fields, not wanting to sell out and thus “close off one side.” He wants to, in baseball parlance, hit the ball where it’s pitched. Letting the ball travel is also part of his approach; Merrill views going the opposite way as his “gateway to success with two strikes.” While he understands he needs to improve his 4.5% walk rate and 36.0% chase rate, his 16.5% strikeout rate is comfortably better than league average. More often than not, Merrill gets his bat on the ball.

Making better swing decisions is a current focus for him, and not just when the bright lights come on. He works on his plate discipline during his pregame process.

“When I’m in the cage, I try to stay on one pitch and swing at that,” said Merrill, who doesn’t find a ton of value in traditional, on-field batting practice. “You have to look in the middle of the zone once the game starts, because if you swing at anything away, or down or in, it’s really hard to get your hands to it. That’s why I like my cage work. I’m hitting low line drives to the back of the net, which I feel helps more in the game than going out on the field and trying to hit homers. Sometimes it’s hard to keep your mindset when you’re hitting BP.”

The mindset he’s taking to his preparation is translating just fine. One of the youngest players in the majors, Merrill is doing more than just hitting line drives to all parts of field; he’s also hitting for power. Just as he intended to do.