Jackson Merrill, the No. 12 prospect in the minor leagues, has made the San Diego Padres' Opening Day roster as an outfielder, the team announced late Tuesday, just hours before opening the season in South Korea against the Dodgers.
Merrill, 20, is a shortstop by trade. The Padres have a loaded infield depth chart, however, meaning they had to get creative with how to fit Merrill into the lineup. Moving him to the outfield, at least for the time being, proved to be the solution. The team's announced roster did, in fact, list Merrill as an outfielder.
Here's what CBS Sports wrote about Merrill earlier in the spring -- before he made the transition to the outfield, and before Xander Bogaerts was relocated to second base:
The Padres made three of the first 75 picks in the 2021 draft. Two of their selections (James Wood and Robert Gasser) have since been traded as part of deals for Juan Soto and Josh Hader. Merrill, the highest drafted of the three, remains in the organization. He should soon become part of the big-league lineup. Merrill connected on more than 80% of his swings last season, resulting in a cumulative .277/.326/.444 slash line across High- and Double-A. His ability to put the bat on the ball is his top selling point. He does have some power, but it's almost exclusively to his pull side, and it's hard to see him displacing Xander Bogaerts as the Padres' everyday shortstop. San Diego started playing Merrill at other positions down the stretch, including at first and second base and out in left field. If he remains with the Padres into next season -- and, as Wood and Gasser illustrate, you can never say for sure -- he could begin his pro career in more of a utility-starter role.
Merrill hit .277/.326/.444 with 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases across High- and Double-A last season. He played well this spring while seeing action in both center and left field.
The Padres will kick off Major League Baseball's regular season with a two-game set in Seoul, South Korea against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 20.
