Padres Rising Star Jackson Merrill Thrives on Proving People Wrong

Maren Angus-Coombs | Feb 25, 2025

Oct 11, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill (3) reacts after game five against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Jackson Merrill might have a sophomore slump.

Or, he might not.

Growing up, the San Diego Padres center fielder learned a valuable lesson from his father: Never be complacent and always strive to get better. That's what he intends to do this season.

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“There’s always doubt in people’s eyes somewhere,” Merrill said. “In someone’s mind somewhere, there is doubt always. Because nobody believes until they see it. So I have to do it. I have to get the credibility of being a veteran where people know who you are, people know that you’re good at providing for the team every year. You still have to do that.

“You see so many people get complacent. My dad has always told me to never be complacent, never to be happy with where you’re at when you’re having success because you know you can do better. … So no matter how good I played last year, there’s still a point to be made. I’m not at that point yet. I’ve only had one year.”

Merrill experienced typical rookie moments going into slumps, and reading about the doubt motivated him to snap out of them. It's not a coincidence that when negative stories were published, he broke out the same day.

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“It just gave me fire,” he said. “No way I’m gonna sit there and read something and then let more people think — like, think whatever way they want about me as a human being, because I know myself as a human being, but as a baseball player, the name on my back, there’s something to represent. So, like, if things start to get noticed I don’t want, I don’t want that (expletive) anymore. I want to prove people wrong.”

Merrill is extremely proud of his upbringing and how he represents something so much bigger than himself. He is not settling with last year's results, wants more, and is determined to achieve that.

“I’ve been proving people wrong since I was eight years old,” Merrill said. “I’ve always been the small kid. I’ve always been the young kid. Like, there’s just been a lot to prove, and I’ve got more to go.”

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