San Diego Padres Center Fielder Jackson Merrill finds himself in rarefied air with his red-hot stretch at the plate. For the first time in over 7o years, a center fielder 21 or younger has hit six or more home runs over an eight-game stretch. He is the first center fielder to accomplish such a feat since the late great Willie Mays did so in 1951.
Merrill has six home runs over his last eight ball games. His hot streak began on June 12 against the Oakland Athletics when he hit two home runs. He ultimately homered in three straight games last week before homering on both Wednesday and Thursday of this week against the Milwaukee Brewers. Merrill is hitting .279 this season with nine home runs and 31 RBI. He has played in 75 of a possible 79 games for San Diego this year.
Will Merrill be able to continue making history and keep his hot streak going?
Jackson Merrill Career Summary
Jackson Merrill of the @Padres is the second center fielder 21 or younger in MLB history to hit 6+ HR in an 8-game span (counting only HR while playing CF).
The other was Willie Mays from July 15-22, 1951. pic.twitter.com/GtfITwX6wJ
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) June 21, 2024
Merrill is a rookie this season with the San Diego Padres. He was the No. 23 prospect in Major League Baseball entering the season according to The Athletic’s Keith Law. He was drafted 27th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft straight out of high school. He was drafted out of Severna Park High School in Maryland. Merrill had a career average of .295 with 21 home runs and 114 RBI during three seasons in the Minor Leagues.
San Diego Padres Season Summary
The Padres(39-40) are in second place in the National League West and occupy the third and final National League Wild Card spot. San Diego has been powered by a strong offense this year. They are second in batting average, ninth in home runs, and ninth in runs scored. Their offense is led by Left Fielder Jurickson Profar and Right Fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. Profar is second in the league with a batting average of .328 and is 14th in the league with 48 RBI. Tatis Jr. leads the team with 14 home runs.
San Diego’s pitching staff has been inconsistent this season. They are 17th in ERA, leading the league in strikeouts, and 19th in opposing batting average. Their pitching staff is led by Dylan Cease and Matt Waldron. Cease leads the club with six wins and is fourth in the league in strikeouts. Waldron leads the team with an ERA of 3.46. Closer Robert Suarez is sixth in the league with 18 saves.
Padres Upcoming Schedule
The San Diego Padres continue their four-game series at home against the Milwaukee Brewers tonight. San Diego has three straight home games with a walk off home run. Last night, First Baseman Jake Cronenworth hit a solo shot to send the Padres faithful home happy. San Diego hosts the Washington Nationals for a three-game series beginning on Monday.
Jackson Merrill will have the eyes of the baseball world on him since he finds himself on a list with one of the greatest players in MLB history, Willie Mays. Mays tragically passed away earlier this week at 93. It is fitting that this is the week where a player matched a feat done by Mays over seven decades ago.
About The Author
Justin has always loved sports. He has previously written for Sports Illustrated and 247Sports. He is always willing to talk football (NFL or college) and basketball, whether it’s on the women’s or men’s side, college or pro!
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