Jackson Merrill highlights coming between Manny Machado's franchise record & Fernando Tatis Jr.'s walk-off home run in Padres' top 5 moments of 2024 

San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill enjoyed an outstanding debut season and finished as the runner-up for the 2024 National Rookie of the Year. The 21-year-old proved his mettle in clutch situations throughout the year, and one of those was included in the top five moments of the Padres' 2024 campaign.

Merrill highlighted this achievement with an update on his Instagram story on Wednesday. He made the list in fourth position with his walk-off home run against New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz for a 3-2 victory at Petco Park on Aug. 25, which also clinched the three-game series.

(Image Source: @_jacksonmerrill_/Instagram)

Top spot, unsurprisingly, went to the game-ending 5-4-3 triple play executed by Manny Machado, Jake Cronenworth and Donovan Solano at Dodger Stadium on Sept. 25 for a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. It gave a tight finish for the NL West title, but the Padres ended up losing three of their remaining four games.

Meanwhile, starting pitcher Dylan Cease bagged second place on the list for his no-hitter in the 3-0 win on the road against the Washington Nationals on July 25. Merrill played a key role in that effort with an excellent catch in the fifth inning after rushing in from center field to grab a shallow fly ball that had squeezed out of the second baseman Xander Bogaerts' glove.

Manny Machado took third place on the list for smashing his 164th home run in a Padres uniform in the 7-3 win over the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Sept. 10. He thereby became the all-time home run leader for the Padres, going past the mark set by Nate Colbert, which had stood since 1974.

On Sept. 4, Fernando Tatis Jr. recorded the first walk-off hit of his career in the 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers, which bagged the fifth spot on this list.

Jackson Merrill's outstanding 2024 rookie campaign

The Padres transitioned Jackson Merrill to center field during spring training (Image Source: Imagn)

The San Diego Padres selected Jackson Merrill as their first-round pick of the 2021 MLB draft and made excellent progress through the minor leagues, primarily as a shortstop. However, the Padres decided to shift him to the outfield in spring training before including him on the Opening Day roster.

Despite being forced into the transition, Merrill made a hot start to the season and was selected for his maiden All-Star Game. He eventually finished the regular season on a .292/.326/.500 slash line with 24 home runs, 90 RBIs, and an OPS+ of 127 while also claiming his first Silver Slugger Award.