Pads’ top prospect Merrill socks first Double-A HR

Jackson Merrill has formally introduced his sweet-swinging methods to Alamo Metropolis.

MLB’s No. 9 overall prospect launched his first Double-A house run — his eleventh dinger of the 12 months — as a part of his second straight three-hit effort within the San Antonio Missions’ 10-3 loss.

The 20-year-old has hit safely in 5 of his first six video games on the Double-A stage and is clearly not fazed by the elevated problem of pitching — he solely has two strikeouts in 28 at-bats for the Missions.

After hanging out within the first body, the Padres’ top prospect was able to put the harm on the ball his subsequent time up within the fourth. Going through Frisco righty Ryan Garcia, Merrill wasted no time profiting from a curveball that caught an excessive amount of plate. The lefty slugger hacked the providing to the alternative subject for a solo homer, his first lengthy ball for San Antonio in six video games with the membership.

Merrill once more went to the alternative subject within the subsequent body — this time without work lefty Grant Wolfram — giving the shortstop his 18th hit off a southpaw in 60 at-bats this season, good for a .300 common.

Later within the seventh towards righty Aidan Anderson, he laced a line drive single up the center for his third hit of the sport, securing his twelfth recreation of the season during which he collected at the very least three hits, boosting his Double-A common to .321 (9-for-28) and his OPS to .964 with a protracted ball, two doubles and two triples.

Taken with the twenty seventh general decide within the 2021 MLB Draft, Merrill has performed nothing however hit by his first 160 skilled video games throughout 4 totally different ranges. He batted .280 in 31 Rookie ball video games the 12 months he was drafted earlier than slashing .325/.387/.482 in 45 video games with Single-A Lake Elsinore in 2022, although he was restricted resulting from wrist and hamstring accidents.

Coming into 2023, the Maryland native was able to put his above-average hit software to the check. He hit .280 with a .762 OPS with 24 extra-base hits in 68 video games with Excessive-A Fort Wayne earlier than incomes a promotion to Texas on July 14.

Thus far, the subsequent stage of pitching hasn’t disconcerted Merrill, whose inventory has skyrocketed as he continues to brim with potential — he was ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 83 general prospect in 2022, and he’s risen into the Prime 10 in 2023.