Padres' Jackson Merrill Apologizes to Mariners' Julio Rodriguez

The star outfielder had himself a night.

Apr 15, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill celebrates after hitting a walk-off double during the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park. All MLB players are wearing number 42 today to honor Jackie Robinson. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill is full of accolades, as he earned a Silver Slugger award, All-Star honor and was named to the All-MLB Second Team at just 22 years old.

But the best catch of his life?

Merrill achieved that feat before hitting a walk-off double in the ninth inning of Wednesday's game against the Seattle Mariners.

In the third inning, Merrill robbed Julio Rodriguez of a home run by reaching over the centerfield wall and saving the Padres from Seattle extending its 2-0 lead.

The Kid just keeps on doing what he does best 🤯 pic.twitter.com/cnQ0dJQdaK

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 16, 2026

With Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. in the outfield, home run robberies have become more of an expectation rather than a surprise. But Wednesday night's catch from Merrill surpassed them all — and he agreed.

The outfielder called it the best catch of his career, and apologized to Rodriguez in the process.

“Yeah, 100%; that’s the best catch I’ve ever made,” Merrill said. “If it was a foot to the left, I couldn’t have gotten it. I kind of brought it back. It was just beyond the fence. I hope [Rodriguez] gets going, though. He’s a good player. Good guy too. Sorry about that one.”

The Padres offense scored five runs in the ninth inning to execute a comeback victory against the Mariners.

According to MLB researcher Sarah Langs, this is the Padres' first win when trailing by four-plus runs entering the ninth since June 14, 2019, which was won in extra innings. Moreover, this is the first win for the Friars when trailing by four-plus runs entering the ninth inning and winning in the ninth since Sept. 9, 2017.

"That's our team right there. You don't see anything like that around the league. All that heart, all that grit. That was just exciting," Merrill said after his walk-off double.

Jackson Merrill spoke with @SammyLev about the Padres' stunning come from behind win: pic.twitter.com/OYC4p4RFr6

— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) April 16, 2026

The Padres are now 12-6 on the season after beginning the 2026 campaign with a 2-5 record. Things are starting to turn around for the Friars after a shaky offensive start to the year.

Now, the team's attention turns to the starting rotation, which has lost one of its frontline starters for the foreseeable future. Nick Pivetta landed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation earlier this week, making an already thin rotation that much thinner.

The Padres will need Merrill and the rest of the offense to step up over the next few weeks. A couple more home run robberies wouldn't hurt, either.

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