Padres News: Bob Melvin Speaks on Top Prospect Jackson Merrill
When the Padres acquired top-tier talent last season via trade for Juan Soto and Josh Bell, they parted ways with much of their youth. They were essentially going all in on a squad that desperately needed more slugging power to assist MVP candidate Manny Machado and fill in certain holes that Fernando Tatis Jr. left in his absence. However, not all young talent is gone.
San Diego's top prospect Jackson Merrill shined in his Spring Training match on Friday and is already looking like a future contender for that shortstop position. He has both fans and members of the organization raving about his hot start, which saw him go 3-for-3 while on the field.
Team manager Bob Melvin couldn't hide his excitement for the 19-year-old in an interview provided by "97.3 The Fan".
"I think Jackson Merrill's a pretty good player. He's going to get a lot of time especially when Kim and Bogaerts go, he's actually starting tomorrow," said Melvin. "He does not look like a teenager for sure."
Merrill is certainly in great hands with the Friars as they are in the midst of building a winning culture and have some of the most experienced veterans for the young prospect to learn from. Newly-added Xander Bogaerts is one of the top shortstops in the game and has plenty of knowledge to offer. Prior to his injuries and a pending outfield move, franchise cornerstone Tatis also dominated the position.
It seems as though Merrill has already begun taking notes from his teammates on how to carry himself and go about improvement. Maturity was another area that Melvin highlighted him in.
"You talk to him, you watch him go about his business, you watch his work ethic, it's everything you want," said Melvin. "This guy's going to be a pretty quick mover I think in this organization. When you come up there, you get three hits, you get righties and lefties... he's a calm thinker, he's impressive."
If Merrill continues to take advantage of his time at shortstop these next few weeks, the Padre's roster could have some notable shifts.
