Sick 1st-inning catch at wall just the start of ‘great Jackson Merrill game’
SAN DIEGO — Asked to characterize how it feels plowing shoulder-first into the center-field wall at Petco Park, Jackson Merrill offered a surprising answer.
“It was kind of fun, not gonna lie,” he said.
Somehow, Merrill made it look fun on Monday afternoon.
Racing back toward the wall during the first inning of the Padres’ 3-2 win over the Nationals, Merrill leaped high to haul in a 105.6 mph laser off the bat of Abimelec Ortiz before crashing hard into the padding with his left shoulder, taking away extra bases for the second out of the frame.
At first, it was hard not to fear the worst as Merrill lay still on the warning track until right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. ran over to help him to his feet. Merrill took his time coming off the field after the final out of the inning, walking slowly back to the dugout, where he was greeted with a pat on the back from Nick Pivetta, whose first start in nearly five months benefited from Merrill’s outstanding play.
“It was incredible, he’s a stud out there,” Pivetta said of the catch.
Given how the rest of Merrill’s day went, any concerns about a potential injury in the immediate aftermath of the play were quickly quelled.
Facing Nats right-hander Jake Irvin in his first at-bat in the bottom half of the inning, Merrill ripped an RBI single at 109.9 mph to right to score Manny Machado and give the Padres a lead. A few pitches later, he swiped second easily for his 25th steal of the year.
Merrill came through again in the third with a 106.3 mph single up the middle to plate the Padres’ third run of the day off Irvin. A scorching 112.1 mph double into the gap in left-center field in the eighth put the finishing touches on Merrill’s first three-hit game in over a month.
“We’ve been better on offense in the second half, and a lot of that has to do with how Jackson’s hit the ball,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said. “He played a complete game today. Bunch of line drives everywhere, some big hits with two outs, stealing bases, making great plays in the outfield. Today was a great Jackson Merrill game.”
San Diego has benefited greatly from Merrill’s second-half surge after a slow start. He’s batting .283 with 12 home runs, 34 RBIs and an .866 OPS since the All-Star break.
Merrill continues to grade out as an above-average fielder, with +4 outs above average and +2 defensive runs saved in 2026. His first-inning grab, as painful as it may have been for the Padres to watch, is another addition to his already extensive highlight reel.
“That was a great play,” Stammen said. “He was full speed into the wall. To be able to hold on to the ball and be able to track it down, he’s played an amazing center field this entire season.”
Merrill might be feeling this one for a bit, that’s for sure.
“It did hurt a little bit, but at this point in the season, everything kind of hurts,” he said.