1 JACKSON MERRILL SS
Hit: 60 Power: 55 Speed: 50 Fielding: 55 Arm: 55 BA Grade: 60 Risk: High
Born: April 19, 2003. B-T: L-R. HT: 6-3. WT: 195.
Drafted: HS—Severna Park, MD, 2021 (1st round).
Signed by: Danny Sader.
TRACK RECORD: Merrill didn’t attend many of the top high school showcase events during the summer of 2020 and was subsequently viewed as a popup prospect when he began to emerge in 2021 in the Baltimore-Washington metro area. The Padres were on Merrill well before he tied the Severna Park High record with 13 homers and were happy to select him 27th overall. He signed for a below-slot $1.8 million to forgo a Kentucky commitment and held his own during his pro debut in the Arizona Complex League until a minor hip flexor injury ended his season. In 2022 he was limited to 55 games in his full-season debut because of a fractured left wrist and a hamstring injury. Even in that limited time, Merrill stood out. He hit .339/.385/.511 in the regular season and went 11-for-17 with four doubles and three steals in four post-season games to help Low-A Lake Elsinore win the California League title. The Padres sent Merrill to the Arizona Fall League after the season, where he held his own.
Merrill had a huge growth spurt and added nearly 30 pounds leading up to the draft. The added strength gave him plus raw power, which continues to be the main selling point even as he learns to leverage it in games. Merrill’s solid bat speed and feel for hitting intrigued the Padres over multiple predraft workouts, where they tested him against the type of high-velocity pitching he did not see regularly on Maryland’s prep circuit. Likewise, he was rather raw against spin during his professional debut. A year later, Merrill has developed advanced offspeed coverage for his age, not to mention an impressive left-on-left approach. He handles all types of pitches and is rarely fazed in the batter’s box. His sweet swing and advanced pitch recognition and approach give him a chance to be a plus hitter with above-average power at maturity, though he is still learning to pull the ball in the air. Just as Merrill rapidly improved as a
