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Ever since making his big league debut last season, young outfielder Jackson Merrill has learnt a lot from the seasoned players around him in the Padres' clubhouse.
As Merrill got to terms with batting against big-league pitching and learning to play center field on the fly, one of the Padres' stars who helped him settle has been 32-year-old Manny Machado, who has appeared to take the youngster under his wing.
Speaking to MLB Network Radio on Sunday, Merrill expressed his pleasure at sharing the clubhouse with Machado, having watched the third baseman on TV while growing up.
"Manny [Machado] will make sure my head's on straight always, so I appreciate that," Merrill said. "I can't take it for granted (sharing the locker room with Manny Machado). I watched him play in my childhood. He was an Orioles guy.
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"I wasn't an Orioles fan, but the games are always on, so I watched him play. I've seen a lot of his moments, both good and bad. It's a pleasure to be in the same clubhouse as him, just look up to him all the time."
Manny Machado commends the hard work Jackson Merrill put in during his rookie season
Enjoying an incredible rookie season in 2024, Jackson Merrill finished second in the standings for the NL Rookie of the Year award, behind Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Paul Skenes.
All that success wasn't a fluke, as evidenced by teammate Manny Machado's comments about the youngster's relentless work ethic in his first season at the highest level of baseball.
"Jackson at the end of the year was kind of exhausted," Machado said. "His first full season, you know. He's a player that's kind of, I don't think there's anyone that as hard as him. [7:46]
"I've never seen a player work as hard as he does. I mean, as a 21-year-old learning a new position, he's out there every songle day shagging fly balls."
Machado, batting .324 with three home runs and 20 RBIs, and Merrill, batting .446 with four home runs and 16 RBIs, have yet again been at the heart of the action for their team in 2025.
As the Padres hope to win a World Series title for the first time in franchise history, fans will be hoping Machado and Merrill can continue leading from the front.
