The San Diego Padres have been on a bit of a heater to start the season, taking six straight games against the likes of the Atlanta Braves and the Cleveland Guardians (as of writing this). They have been playing like a serious contender in the National League West, making people believe that they might ACTUALLY give the Dodgers a run for their money. (I doubt that will happen, in the end).

They have been on an absolute TEAR to start the year, with their three biggest names batting WELL OVER .350 to begin the campaign. And to celebrate this wild start…..it looks like they are locking down one of their rising stars to a long-term contract. Which star, you may ask?

Well…

Jackson Merrill and the Padres agree on a nine-year, $135M extension, per @ByRobertMurray. pic.twitter.com/XVay4E75jR

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 2, 2025

Merrill, for those of you who are unaware, is coming off of a rookie season for the AGES! In 156 games played for Manager Mike Shildt, the Baltimore product recorded an impressive stat-line consisting of;

162 H, 24 HR, 90 RBI, .292 BA, .326 OBP, .826 OPS

He was all over the place for San Diego in 2024; ranking second on the team in batting average, home runs, and even RBIs. His ability to make a quick impact in the Majors excited the fans of the friars, and made him a must-see commodity in a very short amount of time. He was so elite for this team, to the point where he even finished second in ‘Rookie of the Year’ voting, trailing only Pittsburgh Pirates P Paul Skenes.

(To be fair…..Skenes is a machine. Losing to him isn’t that bad.)

Merrill is the face of the future for this squad, with all of this success starting at the young age of 21. His ability to spread the ball around the field, and hit for both contact AND power, is something that any club would love to have on their roster. I mean COME ON; if this is the start of his career…..who KNOWS what numbers he’s going to be putting up a few years down the line.

Jackson Merrill extended this ball out of the park 😏 pic.twitter.com/S4qdq3MG19

— MLB (@MLB) April 2, 2025

Now I get it; there’s always a chance that this dude turns into a “dud,” and this contract turns into a waste. There’s always a chance that Jackson Merrill makes a complete 180 in his career, and turns into the biggest disappointment in Padres history. I don’t want that, personally. I think this kid is one of a kind, a great human being, and deserves all of the success in the world. I just need to play “devil’s advocate” in this situation.

BUT, after seeing what he did in his rookie year…..I think you’d be CRAZY to hate this contract, as a fan. This is a young bat that has all of the tools to be an ELITE powerhouse in this league. If he’s going to have a ROY-caliber year like that? Then you BETTER lock him down as quickly as possible.

Congrats to you, Jackson! And in the end, as always…..what do I know? I’m just a guy from the Midwest, with a beer and a laptop, trying to make sense of this world.