As Jackson Merrill applied the tag on an attempted steal in late April, his future in professional baseball was potentially changed forever.
The glove of the former star shortstop for Severna Park High School got caught on the baserunner’s jersey, causing Merrill’s left wrist to bend back in a very awkward and painful way.
The result was an avulsion fracture of the wrist and a nearly three-month pause to Merrill’s promising first season of affiliated ball with the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm in the San Diego Padres organization.
“Yeah, it was the worst timing for that,” he said. “Especially that early in the year. I didn’t get a taste of anything, really.”
The Padres had selected the 6-foot-3, 195-pound shortstop with the 27th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. He chose to forgo a commitment to the University of Kentucky and sign with the Padres for a reported $1.8 million, less than two months after his 18th birthday and a month after graduating from Severna Park.
Merrill’s fast start in Lake Elsinore, Calif., put him on the radar as one of the fastest rising prospects in all of baseball. He was batting .393 for Lake Elsinore 13 games into the season when the wrist injury happened. He began a rehab stint in the Arizona Complex League in late June but hit the shelf again shortly thereafter due to a hamstring injury. He returned for good in late July.
Around that time, the Padres were rumored to be one of the trade destinations for superstar slugger Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals, and there was speculation that Merrill might be one of the prospects the Nationals would want in a deal.
“I kind of figured if [the Padres] traded for Soto, it was going to take a lot,” Merrill said. “So, I didn’t really plan my moves in the system. I was expecting something, just in case it did happen.”
The time he missed due to injury may have ultimately been one of the reasons Merrill was not included in the deal. Soto, along with teammate Josh Bell, was traded from the Nationals to the Padres on Aug. 2 for five top prospects in the San Diego organization and veteran first baseman Luke Voit.
Even though it would have brought him very close to his Maryland home, Merrill was thrilled he was not traded.
“Obviously, I love this organization. It’s one of the best out there,” he said of the Padres. “… I love being out here. San Diego is one of the best cities in the country. It’s got the best atmosphere, especially.”
Merrill returned to the field for Lake Elsinore in late July and helped the team claim its first California League championship since 2011 and fourth overall.
In 45 games with the Storm, he batted .325/.387/.482 with five home runs, 10 doubles, 34 RBIs and 19 walks. In the field at shortstop, he was responsible for 61 putouts and helped turn 27 double plays. He finished with 103 assists and nine errors.
On Sept. 16, Merrill began a stint in the Arizona Fall League with the Peoria Javelinas. In 22 games, he batted .261/.316/.352 with 23 hits and 16 runs scored.
Recently, a computer algorithm on the baseball website ProspectsLive.com that factors in age, level, position and contact rate, among other things, determined that Merrill was the top prospect in all of baseball. He will play most of next season at the age of 20.
“Obviously, it’s what I would call a meteoric rise. But it doesn’t surprise me,” said Eric Milton, a former major league pitcher who was Merrill’s coach at Severna Park. “The kid is just a tireless hard worker. He’s got a great attitude and all the talent in the world. Fingers crossed that he stays healthy. He is going to be a good one. I can see it.”
Photo Credit: MLB Arizona Fall League