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Jackson Merrill 2025 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Already on the Path to Superstardom
42 seconds agoAt just 21 years old in 2024, San Diego Padres rookie outfielder Jackson Merrill shot out like a cannon to start the year and barely slowed down at all. He finished the campaign with a .292/.326/.500 slash line with 24 home runs and 16 stolen bases. According to Stathead, Merrill was the second player in the last 11 seasons to reach those milestones at age 21 or younger, and the first since Ronald Acuna Jr. in 2018. We could quibble with things like his on-base percentage or his 65.4% first-pitch strike percentage, but that's just picking the finest of nits. He even hit a rookie wall around game 100 but was able to climb out of it and hit .314/.349/.596 in the second half of the season. He is poised to slot third in the San Diego Padres batting order in 2025, right in between Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. ATC projections have him repeating his stellar 2024 with 26 home runs and 16 stolen bases this year. But even if he loses some appeal on the basepaths because of his lineup spot, he should more than makeup for it in runs and RBI. Right now, Jackson Merrill is going around pick 27 in NFBC drafts, and he could creep up into the second round before the season begins.
