"Key linchpins" - MLB analyst hails Jackson Merrill, Jurickson Profar for stepping up in Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts' absence
Jackson Merrill and Jurickson Profar covered for San Diego Padres stars Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts' as the team gave the eventual Los Angeles Dodgers a run for their money during the regular season and then in the postseason.
For the Padres, it was a bright season with respect to Merrill, who played out of position (went from infield to outfield for the team) and Profar, who finally earned his first All-Star selection in 10 years. All while big names such as Machado struggling, Fernando Tatis Jr. missing time and Bogaerts struggling to stay healthy.
The above points were highlighted by MLB Network's Adnan Virk while discussing NL Rookie of the Year finalist Jackson Merrill's impact on the Padres on the Marty Caswell MartyTimeTV show.
"You look at San Diego's season overall, and there were so many challenges within the team," Virk said (1:12 onwards). "The fact that Machado was up and down, Tatis was out for an extended period of time, and Bogaerts was out—it’s incredible that Jackson Merrill and Jurickson Profar became the key linchpins of that offense." (Timestamp: 1: 45)
Virk said GM AJ Preller and manager Mike Shildt extracted the best out of Jackson Merrill and Jurickson Profar.
"I give A.J. Preller and San Diego credit, honestly, Marty. The fact that they said, 'We don’t have this guy start in the minors. If he’s ready, we’ll go ahead and start him.' So, I give A.J. credit, and Mike Shildt as well—he’s obviously a great manager—for giving Merrill the confidence to be out there," Virk added.
Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado lavish praise on Jackson Merrill
Padres rookie Jackson Merrill was highly praised in the locker room, with veteran ballplayers Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado giving him major props after his postseason exploits.
"This guy," Bogaerts said during the postseason. "Me, at that age, I played in the World Series. But this guy was so much better than me at that age."
"He's been playing postseason baseball for the last six months," Manny Machado said. "What he's been doing is incredible, and his energy's always been top notch. We've put him in so many situations -- Korea, an All-Star Game, clutch moments. ... He's been ready for it for six months."
This season, Jackson Merrill was among the key Padres batters in the lineup. He finished with a .250 batting average with six hits, a home run, five RBIs and four runs scored in seven games