'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The MLBPA announced on Saturday that Jackson Merrill has been selected as the 2024 Players Choice Awards NL Outstanding Rookie. Merrill was clutch for the Padres, often saving the Friars from tough situations. He is also the favorite to win the NL Rookie of the Year over Paul Skenes and Jackson Chourio.
After Merrill's selection, fellow Players Choice Awards winners and ace pitchers Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal praised him. Sale won the NL Comeback Player and NL Outstanding Pitcher while Skubal won the AL Outstanding Pitcher award.
Trending
Sale predicted that Merrill will become a menace for pitchers in the coming years.
"He's gonna be a problem," Sale said on Saturday. "He's gonna be a problem for a while. To be that young and to kind of make that mark so soon."
For Skubal, Merrill's versatility impressed him. He was initially recruited as a shortstop, but he played center field for the Padres and excelled in it.
"As easy as he has probably made it look, it's probably not that easy," Skubal said. "For him to be able to just go out there and be an athlete, and go play center field, and then do what he is doing offensively too, I'm pretty impressed."
Merrill played in 156 games this season and recorded 24 home runs, 90 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. Moreover, he maintained a batting average of .292.
Shohei Ohtani congratulates Jackson Merrill for the 2024 Players Choice Awards NL Outstanding Rookie selection
In addition to Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal, Jackson Merrill received high praise from Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani, who won the 2024 Players Choice Awards NL Outstanding Player award, commended Merrill's clutch slugging.
"To give an amazing performance on your debut year is impressive," Ohtani said. "I believe only a handful of people can deliver when the stakes are so high. So, I think he [Jackson Merrill] is an amazing player."
Incidentally, it was Ohtani's LA Dodgers who knocked out Merrill's Padres out of the postseason in the NLDS. After the Padres took a 2-1 lead in the series, the Dodgers clawed back to win it 3-2.
