Jackson Merrill teases Luis Arraez after Padres team meeting with hilarious story

San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill had a bit of fun at the expense of his teammate Luis Arraez in a recent interview. Merrill recounted an interaction with Arraez during a Padres team meeting where the latter declared hitting is not difficult for him.

Jackson Merrill was the breakout star for the San Diego Padres last season as he finished as the runner-up for the National League Rookie of the Year. Meanwhile, the Padres also made a trade deal to bring in Luis Arraez from the Miami Marlins.

On Friday, Merrill offered an interview to the Ben & Woods podcast at the Padres spring training camp in Peoria, Arizona. He recounted his story regarding Arraez on the show. [7:42 - 8:16]

"We were having a team meeting, and he's like, "I love hitting! I love hitting! I love hitting, but hitting is hard. But it's not impossible." And I'm like, "What are you trying to say?"

"He's like, "Hitting is hard, but not for me. But hitting is hard."

Merrill then took a look at something placed in front of him.

"I also see he wrote three-time batting champ under his signature," he said. "Wow!"

Arraez won his first two batting titles with the Minnesota Twins and the Miami Marlins. He also posted 200 hits for the second consecutive season last year.

Jackson Merrill on his expectations for the 2025 season

Jackson Merrill was an All-Star last season and also won a Silver Slugger Award (Image Source: IMAGN)

Jackson Merrill produced an excellent rookie campaign in 2024, rising from a highly rated prospect to an All-Star and a Silver Slugger winner in a span of a few months. However, the pressure is now on the 21-year-old to continue his remarkable progress and prove that he is not a one-season wonder.

Merill discussed the possibilities of a slump in his sophomore campaign with The San Diego Union Tribune.

"It happens, but, like, I’m never gonna think that is how my season is going to go," he replied. "But even if it does, there’s also a point in time where you can still genuinely help and impact the team."

"There’s still situations where you can not be hitting but do your job and help the team win games. Like, play good defense, do my work, work as hard as possible. That’s how I can avoid that," he added. "There’s no point getting cocky now, especially when there’s more to prove, you know."

Merrill batted .292/.326/.500 during the regular season with 24 home runs, 90 RBIs, and an OPS+ of 127. Despite his incredible campaign, he finished a distant second behind Paul Skenes in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.