Jackson Merrill & girlfriend Sammie Quinn catch LeBron James, Anthony Davis live in action at the Footprint Center
Although San Diego Padres rookie Jackson Merrill would have undoubtedly preferred to still be playing, the Padres rookie is making the most of his offseason. The esteemed young slugger took to Instagram to show off his offseason fun.
In a series of stories posted to his Instagram account, Merrill was at the Footprint Center in Arizona alongside his girlfriend, Sammie Quinn, to watch the Phoenix Suns play the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.
The Phoenix Suns won the game 109-105. Although he was reared in Maryland, Merrill appears to have taken well to the West Coast lifestyle. The game handed the Lakers their first loss of the season. Considering it was the Dodgers who eliminated Merrill's Padres this postseason, perhaps the result is a form of indirect revenge.
A first-round pick by the Padres in 2021, Merrill finally got his chance to shine in 2024. Called up just days before the start of the 2024 season, Jackson Merrill hit his first career RBI in South Korea, where the Padres began their 2024 season against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2024 MLB Seoul Series.
Jackson Merrill's girlfriend Sammie Quinn feels "proud" after rookies' season reflection post
Through 156 games for the San Diego Padres in 2024, the Baltimore-born outfielder hit .292/.326/.500 with 24 home runs and 90 RBIs. As such, Merrill is considered to be the prime frontrunner for Rookie of the Year Award honors in the National League.
Already named the Rookie of the Year by the Sporting News and the MLBPA, Merrill has but to wait for the result of the MLB's decision, as inevitable as it might seem.
Beneath Merrill's post, Sammie offered her own words of affirmation, claiming to be "proud" in a comment.
Regardless of whether or not Merrill is named the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year, the slugger had a tremendous season.