Just days into his sophomore campaign, Jackson Merrill has reportedly agreed to a massive contract extension. According to FanSided’s Robert Murray, Merrill has inked a nine-year, $135 million deal which includes a club option for a 10th season at $30 million. The extension will buyout all of Merrill’s arbitration years, after the 21-year-old finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting to Paul Skenes in 2024.
It’s hard to overstate just how good Merrill has been in a Padres’ uniform. The 27th overall pick in the 2021 Draft, Merrill had only taken 211 plate appearances above High-A before breaking camp with San Diego last season. If that wasn’t a daunting enough task, Merrill was also learning how to play centerfield throughout Spring Training. Needless to say, it all worked out. In 156 games in his rookie campaign, Merrill slashed .292/.326/.500 with a .372 expected wOBA and a 130 wRC+. His 5.3 fWAR was a top 15 mark among all position players. Impressive stuff.
Jackson Merrill is off to another excellent start in 2025, batting .400 with a home run and six RBI for an undefeated Padres squad. Merrill is listed at +4500 to take home NL MVP on the DraftKings Sportsbook — tied for the 13th-shortest odds in the league with Philadelphia’s Trea Turner.
