In photos: Jackson Merrill, Fernando Tatis Jr., Michael King receive Halloween tributes from young Padres' fans dressed as their 'baseball cards'
Many San Diego Padres stars, including Jackson Merrill, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Michael King, saw several of their young fans dressing up to look like their baseball cards for Halloween.
The San Diego Padres had a great season followed by a thrilling showdown against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS showdown. The Padres, who had to win the wild card round, almost defeated the Dodgers, taking a 2-1 lead before LA won two straight games to knock them off.
There were several new faces, including rookie Jackson Merrill and Michael King, who was traded by the Yankees earlier this season and did exceptionally well.
On the occasion of Halloween, Jackson Merrill reshared photos of several young fans wearing his Padres jersey, including accessories like a gold necklace and baseball bat. Among the five images he shared, in one image, there's also a kid beside a Merrill lookalike who posed as fellow teammate Fernando Tatis Jr.
In a separate story, pitcher Michael King also shared a similar lookalike of himself as if he were on a baseball card.
Jackson Merrill laments NLDS loss vs Dodgers and hopes to improve in offseason
Jackson Merrill rocked the MLB world with his exceptional rookie year performance saw him win the Sporting News and the MLBPA NL Rookie of the Year awards.
However, his season ended on a disappointing note, going hitless (0-7) in the final two games of the NLDS. Moreover, his Padres were shut down by Dodgers pitchers making the loss sting all the more.
"I know I've got a salty taste in my mouth because I feel like for eight months straight I've been going to the ball field and enjoying every bit of it," Merrill told Marty Caswell.
"So, you know, I'll probably end up going tomorrow just to go. I don't care. I'll get ready for the off-season, get stronger, and get better in those areas I need to improve. Regardless of how much success I had this year, there are so many areas I can improve on."
If it's any consolation, the Dodgers would go on to win the World Series convincingly, so the Padres can take pride in knowing they were almost on the brink of knocking them out.
For Merrill, he'll hope his .292 batting average, along with 24 home runs and 16 stolen bases, are enough to edge out Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Paul Skenes for the BBWAA NL Rookie of the Year.