Jackson Merrill’s Padres teammate labels him a ‘freak’ amid playoff heroics
The San Diego Padres swept the Atlanta Braves in the National League Wild Card Series. They were led by rookie centerfielder Jackson Merrill, who knocked in two runs in the Padres’ Game 2 win. After the game. Merrill’s Padres teammates spoke glowingly about the rookie after the game to ESPN’s Buster Olney.
“A superstar,” Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth said. “A freak.”
Merrill capped off a thrilling third inning with a two-run triple to make the score 5-1. It was the sixth consecutive two-out hit by the Padres. Merrill says that shows how tough the team has been all season long.
“That’s a band of brothers right there,” Merrill told Olney. “First inning, we get bases loaded, no outs and we don’t score. But we don’t look back, we move forward. Six straight two-out hits! I don’t think that happens very often. That’s what you call a band of brothers, just working together trying to pack on the runs.”
Now, the Padres face their division rival Los Angeles Dodgers in a best-of-five division series. Last year, Los Angeles was swept in the Division Series by the Diamondbacks. They must move beyond that for their offseason moves to pay off. This will be Shohei Ohtni’s first playoff series, which will be must-watch television.
Padres’ chances in the National League playoffs
Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
According to FanGraphs, the Dodgers/Padres series is the tightest of the division series. The Dodgers have a 50.2% chance to win the series because of these teams’ regular season series. The Padres won eight of the 13 games between the teams including the one that clinched their spot in the playoffs.
Merrill was the key to the Padres’ season this year. After missing the playoffs last season, they traded Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the Yankees. Both of those outfielders were everyday players for the team. Merrill was drafted as a shortstop and filled their roles perfectly.
While Merrill had a terrific season, he is not expected to win the National League Rookie of the Year. Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes is favored to win the award because of his sub-2.00 ERA this season. Despite his lack of hardware, Merrill is key to the Padres’ future. Whether it is in the outfield or infield, his bat brings another great weapon to their lineup.
The Dodgers did not scare Merrill this season. He went 16-46 for a .348 average with a .840 OPS. The Padres’ rookie also hit a home run and drove in four runs in the 12 games he played against LA.
The post Jackson Merrill’s Padres teammate labels him a ‘freak’ amid playoff heroics appeared first on ClutchPoints.
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