MIAMI — Jackson Merrill paused to reflect on his way out of loanDepot park Saturday night.
He didn’t literally stop. He was on his way to dinner with a group of veteran pitchers, and they had let him know time was of the essence.
But the rookie took a moment on his brisk walk to a waiting car to share his thoughts on a remarkable season that only keeps growing more so.
“I’m appreciative, or I’m thankful for how my work is translating into my games,” he said. “I think in the beginning of the year … I kind of just tried to chill a little a bit. Because the off season is long; you work out really hard every day. And then you get to spring training, and I had to make the team, so I had to go hard every day. And then, kind of the beginning of the season, I chilled for a little bit. And then I’ve been just busting my ass ever since. To see it all pay off in big spots is awesome to me.”
Merrill on Saturday hit his fourth game-tying home run in 12 days. This one did not come in the ninth inning, as the previous three did. It was in the eighth, and it got the Padres back in a game they went on to win 9-8 in 10 innings.
It was Merrill’s 17th home run of the season and his 14th in 47 games since June 12.
Saturday was the Padres’ fourth straight victory in a game in which they trailed in the eighth inning, a franchise record. It was the third time in that span that a Merrill homer got them even.
What he is doing is too much to say that it is expected. But neither can anyone watching him up close say it is surprising.
No matter how impressed they are that a 21-year-old in his first big-league season is contributing so significantly and so consistently, veterans know special when they see it.
“He’s different, man,” Manny Machado said Friday night.
They have been saying these things about him for a while.
“I met him at FanFest (last) year,” Xander Bogaerts said, refering to their crossing paths at Petco Park when Merrill was 19 and had yet to play above low-A. “I was like, ‘Damn, this guy is different.’ This year in spring training, same thing. It’s not arrogant, it’s not even close. But this guy — whoo — he’s confident all right. The way he acts, carries himself.”
And they are still saying these things.
“Since the first day I stepped on the field with him in spring training, he showed me that he’s that kind of player, that player that will do everything to win a ball game,” Jurickson Profar said Saturday. “… I recognize that this guy will do anything to win, and he hates losing. It’s not a (single) word that you can describe someone like that. They hate losing. He wants to be better every day. He’s working, shagging fly balls when he’s a guy that plays every day. He’s always wanting to get better.”
Merrill has steadfastly maintained he is not paying attention to the National League Rookie of the Year race.
“I don’t give a …” he said Friday.
Hard-throwing Pirates rookie Paul Skenes, whose ERA rose to 2.25 on Saturday night when he allowed the Dodgers four runs in five innings, has been a media darling since his debut. But Merrill, who is batting .294 with an .814 OPS, has seemingly at least made it a two-man race.
“Play speaks for itself, but his play is speaking very loud,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “His play is speaking very loud. … He’s not (thinking about it). I’m not. We’re about team goals here. We want individual achievements for sure, for the guys, that’s part of the gig. But he’s just looking to play and contribute to help us win games, which he’s clearly doing. And I’d like to think that’s probably a pretty big consideration for that award.”
