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Although Jackson Merrill thrived against the Dodgers in his freshman season of 2024, the Padres rookie has nothing but respect for the club's star player. In a recent clip, Merrill revealed that he thinks Shohei Ohtani belongs in the same conversation as some fairly esteemed names.
In a video posted by the MLBPA marking Ohtani's selection for the 2024 Players Choice Awards for the NL's most outstanding player, Jackson Merrill was among those who spoke. Not hiding his admiration for the Japanese superstar, Merrill claimed:
"We're so fortunate to be in this era of sports, like Tiger Woods, LeBron James, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo. Seeing all of these greats in sports and seeing Ohtani do it"
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A 2021 Padres draft pick, Jackson Merrill was added to the team's roster days before the beginning of the 2024 season. At the 2024 MLB Seoul Series to open the 2024 season, Jackson Merrill recorded his first career RBI against Ohtani's LA Dodgers. Through 156 games this season, Merrill hit .292/.326/.500 alongside 24 home runs and 90 RBIs. He is considered a frontrunner for the NL Rookie of the Year.
Although the San Diego Padres were eliminated by the Dodgers in the NLDS this year, Merrill performed well against LA, especially in the regular season. In 12 games this season against the divisional foe, the Maryland native hit .348 with 4 homers and 8 RBIs.
After becoming the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season, Shohei Ohtani is winning recognition everywhere. However, in the seventh inning of Game 2 of the World Series against the New York Yankees, the star appeared to suffer a shoulder injury during a stolen base attempt.
Shohei Ohtani health in question for the rest of the series
After he was escorted off of the field, it was revealed that Ohtani's left shoulder had become dislocated. Despite this, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was hopeful, telling MLB.com:
“We’re going to get some tests at some point tonight, tomorrow, and then we’ll know more in the next couple days, but the strength was great. The range of motion, good. So we’re encouraged. But obviously I can’t speculate because we don’t have the scans yet. Once we get the scans, we’ll know more.”
Certainly one of the best athletes in modern times, the thought of injury dampening Ohtani's first World Series win is a pitiful one.
