Jackson Merrill

Active

San Diego Padres · Outfielder

Age 236' 2" · 195 lbsBats Left

FBaseball Overview

The 23-year-old center fielder comes into 2026 following a disappointing sophomore campaign after a stellar 2024 All-Star season that earned him All-MLB Second Team honors. His batting average has cratered to .213 through early action, a dramatic 51-point drop from his 2025 mark, signaling serious concerns about plate discipline and contact quality that fantasy managers need to monitor closely. While his power output remains modest at eight home runs and stolen base activity (18 SB) suggests he retains speed potential, the steep decline in runs and RBI production reflects fewer offensive opportunities and reduced run-scoring environment. Merrill carries significant risk as a sell-low candidate in 2026, but his youth and prior All-Star pedigree leave room for a rebound if he can recalibrate his approach at the plate.

MLB Hitting

Year	Team	G	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	OBP	SLG	OPS
2024	San Diego Padres	156	.292	24	90	77	16	.326	.500	.826
2025	San Diego Padres	115	.264	16	67	59	1	.317	.457	.774
2026	San Diego Padres	87	.217	10	34	38	18	.273	.357	.630
Career	Totals	358	.264	50	191	174	35	.310	.450	.760

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Minor League Hitting

Year	Team	G	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	OBP	SLG	OPS
2021	ACL Padres	31	.280	0	10	19	5	.339	.383	.722
2022	2 teams▼	55	.339	6	40	38	11	.395	.511	.906
2023	2 teams▼	114	.277	15	64	76	15	.326	.444	.770
2025	San Antonio Missions	2	.333	0	0	2	0	.500	.333	.833
Career	Totals	202	.295	21	114	135	31	.349	.454	.803

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Game Log2026 season

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Analytics2026 season · via Baseball Savant

Click for year to year changes

EV Avg89.8 mph

Max EV109.7 mph

Launch Angle12.9°

Barrel %9.8%

K %25.8%

Hard Hit %45.9%

Whiff %27.7%

Chase %35.4%

xBA0.235

xSLG0.41

xwOBA0.302

GB%41.6%

LD%25.3%

FB%26.9%

What These Stats Mean

EV Avg — Average exit velocity — how hard this batter hits the ball. Elite hitters (90+ mph) make consistently hard contact, driving better batting averages and more power.

Max EV — Peak exit velocity on the batter's hardest-hit ball this season. Signals raw power potential even without a high HR total yet.

Launch Angle — Average vertical angle of the ball off the bat. The sweet spot for extra-base hits is roughly 10–30°; extreme ground ball or pop-up hitters sit outside this range.

Barrel % — Percentage of batted balls hit with the optimal exit velocity + launch angle combo. Barrels are the single best predictor of home runs and slugging percentage.

K % — Strikeout rate per plate appearance. High K% suppresses batting average and limits run-scoring opportunities — lower is better for fantasy.

Hard Hit % — Percentage of batted balls hit 95 mph or harder. A broader power indicator than barrels; high hard-hit% players rack up extra-base hits and RBI.

Sprint Speed — Peak sprint speed in feet per second. The best predictor of stolen base upside and ability to leg out infield hits.

Whiff % — Percentage of swings that miss. High whiff rates signal strikeout vulnerability, dragging down batting average and overall production.

Chase % — How often the batter swings at pitches outside the strike zone. Low chase rates mean elite plate discipline — more walks, fewer strikeouts, more consistent at-bats.

xBA — Expected batting average based on contact quality, stripping out luck and defensive positioning. Better predictor of future performance than actual batting average.

xSLG — Expected slugging based on batted ball data. A high xSLG relative to actual SLG suggests power suppressed by bad luck that's likely to bounce back.

xwOBA — Expected weighted on-base average — the most comprehensive single expected metric. Combines contact quality, walks, and strikeouts to project overall offensive production.

GB% — Ground ball rate. High GB% hitters trade home run power for speed-dependent value — good for stolen base upside, but a drag on HR and SLG categories.

LD% — Line drive rate. High LD% hitters make consistent hard contact; line drives are the batted ball type most likely to fall for hits and boost batting average.

FB% — Fly ball rate. Elite power hitters combine high FB% with high exit velocity. High fly ball rate + soft contact = home run or nothing type.

Articles featuring Jackson Merrill

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June 16, 2026
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Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2024

San Diego Padres

156

.292

.326

.500

.826

2025

San Diego Padres

115

.264

.317

.457

.774

2026

San Diego Padres

.217

.273

.357

.630

Career

Totals

358

.264

191

174

.310

.450

.760

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2021

ACL Padres

.280

.339

.383

.722

2022

2 teams▼

.339

.395

.511

.906

2023

2 teams▼

114

.277

.326

.444

.770

2025

San Antonio Missions

.333

.500

.333

.833

Career

Totals

202

.295

114

135

.349

.454

.803