Jackson Merrill ($4,000; 38 FPTS) was selected with the 27th overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft by the San Diego Padres. During his three years in the minor league system, he showed pop, speed and good plate discipline. The strikeout rate was often in the low teens while the ISO was in the .150 range.
But most young players struggle when they level up to MLB.
Not Merrill, as he has been very, very good so far this season. In 412 plate appearances, the slash is .282/.313/.448 with a 4.4% walk rate, 18.7% strikeout rate and .166 ISO. That’s translated to 13 home runs and 11 stolen bases.
On Wednesday, he went 4-for-6 with two home runs, three RBI and scored three times to lead the Padres to the 9-8 win in extras.
Kyle Higashioka ($3,300; 21 FPTS) went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Xander Bogaerts ($4,200; 12 FPTS) and Manny Machado ($5,200; 15 FPTS) both had two hits, a RBI and scored a run. Bogaerts had a walk while Machado stole a base.
While the Padres racked up 14 hits, the Pirates notched 11 themselves.
Andrew McCutchen ($4,200; 23 FPTS) went 2-for-5 with a home run, a walk and three RBI. Bryan Reynolds ($5,500; 12 FPTS), Isiah Kiner-Falefa ($3,400; 18 FPTS) and Ke’Bryan Hayes ($3,600; 12 FPTS) all had two hits. Reynolds also had a walk and two RBI, Kiner-Falefa stole a base and Hayes had a RBI, scored a run and walked once.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is sontzu) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
