Jackson Merrill compared to Dodgers' $162M star by MLB analyst

Fans were frightened after San Diego Padres star Jackson Merrill was hit by Devin Williams’ fastball in the left forearm during the 10th inning. However, the good news was that he had no injury concerns and enjoyed a dominant start after coming off the IL.

Just off the IL, Merrill blasted off a home run off the New York Yankees ace Max Fried and then hit a RBI single to put the Padres in the lead. Both Fried and Luke Weaver’s pitches were rendered ineffective by Merrill.

His performance drew a comparison to Los Angeles Dodgers star Freddie Freeman by sportscaster Tom Verducci. He admitted that while the comparison with the Dodgers' $162M star might be a bit far-fetched, it was worth talking about.

"I know it's high praise but look at this swings, almost identical...I never thought I'd see anybody with a setup and swing like Freddie Freeman. It's so unique, it's so good. Jackson Merrill is pretty darn close,” Tom Verducci said. (TS-1:48 to 2:09)

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Merrill’s stats for the 2025 season speak for themselves as he became a Padres superstar before hitting the IL. He recorded a .301 batting average with 4 home runs, 102 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases so far.

Padres coach on Jackson Merrill’s injury vs. Yankees

Jackson Merrill reacts after taking a hit from Devin Williams’ fastball.[Source: Imagn]

San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt confirmed that Jackson Merrill was okay after getting hit by Devin Williams’ pitch on the arm. Merrill reiterated the same and even stayed in for the rest of the game.

Merrill was sidelined for a month after suffering from a right hamstring strain and has just joined the roster again. Shildt says that even though he was away from the field, he kept himself mentally prepared for games.

“He stayed mentally into the competition away from the competition,” Mike Shildt said. “He locked in, did his scouting reports almost every day to keep your mind ready. He took his physical rehab seriously and was able to come back and perform like he has.”

Currently, it’s all positive news for the Padres center fielder medically. Before hitting IL, Merrill’s score was .378 hitting with a 1.091 OPS.

About the author

Kaushani Chatterjee is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda with a Master's in English and over 4 years of experience at publications such as FirstSportz.

Kaushani 's favorite teams are the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. She is a fan of Yankees as a group, their star power and their history oozes class. As for the Dodgers, Kaushani likes Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.

She started watching the MLB during her school years and developed a keen interest in the sport. Now she is hooked.

Kaushani's hobbies include guitar, sketching, watching anime (tons of them), listening to music, and watching Asian dramas (Korean/Thai in general).

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Edited by Dipayan Moitra