With a 93-69 record, the San Diego Padres finished in second place in the National League West. This allowed them to clinch a Wild Card spot in 2024. The Padres were bested by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, sending the team packing for what promised to be a long winter. San Diego’s offseason activity was scarce this year. However, young star Jackson Merrill is ready to show his team they didn’t need any shiny new offseason additions.
Jackson Merrill was asked if the Padres players hear the noise about a quiet offseason.
Merrill: “We don’t care. Whoever we got in the locker room — we’re ready to go with, I’m ready to go to war with. If you’re on our team, you’re a brother.” pic.twitter.com/OyWI6sc2SE
— Sammy Levitt (@SammyLev) February 18, 2025
As reported by Sammy Levitt of 97.3 The Fan in San Diego, when asked if the Padres’ players are hearing the chatter about the team’s quiet winter, Merrill answered in a manner that most 22-year-olds would echo: “We don’t care. Whoever we got in the locker room — we’re ready to go with, I’m ready to go to war with. If you’re on our team, you’re a brother.”
Last season, Merrill finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting. He was an All-Star and won a Silver Slugger, and he sure set the bar high for his sophomore season. The left-handed-hitting Merrill slashed .292/.326/.500 with 24 home runs and 16 stolen bases in 2024. The young centerfielder had a 43.9% hard-hit rate, and his .993 fielding percentage ranked third among qualified NL centerfielders.
Playing alongside Merrill is Fernando Tatis Jr., who is coming off a solid 2024 campaign. Tatis Jr. suffered a stress fracture in his right femur, and that ailment limited him to 102 games. The 26-year-old posted a 130 OPS+, smashed 21 homers, and was named an All-Star for the second time in his career.
Another big star in San Diego’s lineup is third baseman Manny Machado. The tenured Machado, who has 13 big league seasons under his belt, batted .275 with 29 long balls last year. Across his six-year span in San Diego thus far, Machado had a 128 OPS+ with 167 home runs and a .341 on-base percentage.
The Padres’ Cactus League season will kick off on Friday afternoon when they host the Seattle Mariners.
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