The San Diego Padres have been one of the best teams in baseball since the All-Star break. It’s not that hard to make the argument that they’ve been the best team, as a matter of fact. San Diego has won 22 of their last 30 on the backs of a red-hot offense and a dominant pitching staff. It’s been a team effort, but some have certainly helped more than others.
Two of those players have been Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill. The former is back to his superstar ways, leading MLB in home runs since the All-Star break (12). Tatis has been impossible to get out lately, with a .306 batting average and 1.024 OPS in that same timespan. But Merrill has done his fair share as well. The center fielder has 11 homers since the All-Star break (tied for fourth in MLB) along with 29 RBIs and a respectable .896 OPS.
Merrill’s Tough First Half and Recent SurgeThat’s a new development for the slugging center fielder. Merrill struggled through the first half of the season, slashing .219/.278/.350 with a meager .628 OPS. The power/speed combo was certainly still there, with Merrill hitting 10 bombs and swiping 19 bags before the All-Star break, but he looked lost in the batter’s box. Part of that came from making his first adjustments to the league since his otherworldly rookie season in 2024. Another part of it came from his struggles to have confidence in the box.
Jul 21, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill (3) catches a fly ball hit by Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (1) (not shown) during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn ImagesAt the end of the day, he was at least on the field every day. That’s more than Merrill could say in 2025, when he had two prolonged stints on the IL due to a hamstring injury and a concussion. That stopped Merrill from ever getting into a groove at the plate, gifting him the oh-so-common sophomore slump. After his 2024 rookie year, it was expected that Merrill would continue to take the league by storm. Instead, he regressed, though it seemed like he could turn it around in 2026 after signing an extension with the club.
The problem was that he didn’t. At least, not immediately. He still hasn’t fully either. Merrill is slashing .239/.289/.416 through 131 games played this season. Those aren’t bad numbers by any means, but they’re not what San Diego expects from its All-Star center fielder. Not only that, but his bat has actually regressed even more, with Merrill hitting below league-average for the first time in his career (93 OPS+).
The Return to StardomThat being said, it’s difficult to deny the heater he’s been on lately. In his last 30 games, Merrill is slashing .293/.331/.560 with an .891 OPS. He also has seven home runs during that stretch and 22 RBIs. It’s been an incredible turnaround for Merrill, who had really struggled to return to normalcy in the batter’s box. He seemed to have found that, or did he?
Two-Faced ProductionWhile it’s true that Merrill has stormed back into the conversation, he has also seriously struggled at the plate. There are days where he looks unstoppable, and other days where he looks like he could be struck out by a fan from the stands. Take, for example, his last seven games. In that time, Merrill has hit just .179 with a .233 on-base percentage. He’s also struck out nine times in those seven contests. But he also has a .500 slugging percentage. Those kinds of numbers don’t typically go together.
It’s difficult to trust the kind of performance you’ll get from Merrill. In Monday and Tuesday’s losses to the Pittsburgh Pirates, Merrill went a combined 0-for-9 with four strikeouts. But he was also the reason that the Padres won the series finale, going 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and a walk. In the last two games before that against the Minnesota Twins, Merrill went a blistering 3-for-8 with a walk and three RBIs. But, in the series opener, he struck out in three of four at-bats, failing to record a single hit.
Playoff ImplicationsThe problem here is trust. Which version of Merrill will the Friars get in the postseason? Will it be the slugging, all-around phenom or the batter who looks like a nervous wreck in every plate appearance. It’s impossible to tell which, but San Diego can only hope it’s the former more so than the latter. The strikeout numbers are certainly concerning, but mix it in with the power resurgence and it’s felt better. Hopefully, Merrill can work through his contact issues sooner rather than later. Otherwise, he could be a major thorn in San Diego’s side during a potential playoff run.
Main Photo: David Dermer- Imagn Images
More MLB News and AnalysisMickey Gasper Roster Spot: Is Change Coming with Anthony Waiting?
Leave a Comment