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topicnews · August 26, 2024

Friar Notes: Jackson rewrites the record books; notes on Jurickson Profar and relievers Bryan Hoeing, Jason Adam and Robert Suarez | by FriarWire | August 2024

Friar Notes: Jackson rewrites the record books; notes on Jurickson Profar and relievers Bryan Hoeing, Jason Adam and Robert Suarez | by FriarWire | August 2024

By Bill Center

FriarWire
Photo of Jackson Merrill and Jurickson Profar celebrating Merrill’s walk-off home run on Sunday, August 25

With 30 games left in the regular season, rookie centerfielder Jackson Merrill’s numbers are approaching historic highs.

In fact, some have already made history.

With his walk-off home run on Sunday that gave the Padres a tie in their four-game series against the Mets, Merrill became the first rookie in Padres history to hit two walk-off home runs in the same season.

And his home run on Sunday was his sixth to either put the Padres ahead or tie a game in the eighth inning or later — tying him with Hall of Famer Frank Robinson (1956) for the most home runs in a single season ever hit by a player age 21 or younger. Merrill is now the only player with five of those home runs in the ninth inning. With his hit on Sunday, Merrill passed another Hall of Famer (Mel Ott) in that category.

A look at the Padres record books shows that with 30 games to go, Merrill has a .288 batting average, a .488 slugging percentage and an .807 OPS with 130 hits, 21 doubles, six triples, 19 home runs, 72 RBIs, 13 stolen bases and 65 runs scored.

Only three rookies in Padres history finished their first season with a higher average. Benito Santiago, the 1987 National League Rookie of the Year, holds the team’s rookie record at .300. Merrill’s slugging percentage is 21 points higher than Santiago’s club record. Merrill’s OPS is also at a Padres rookie record level.

Only five rookies in franchise history have had more than 150 hits, with Santiago being the No. 1 rookie with 164. Merrill is one home run away from becoming the sixth rookie in Padres history with at least 20 (Hunter Renfroe holds the record with 26). And only Santiago (79) and Kevin Kouzmanoff (74 in 2007) finished their rookie seasons with more RBIs than Merrill now has.

NOTES:

— Were it not for Jurickson Profar’s game-winning two-run home run in the eighth inning on Sunday, Merrill would not have hit two walk-off home runs today. Profar’s hit was his fifth game-winning home run of the season – surpassing Merrill as the Padres’ most homer-hit player and tying Profar for the National League lead in that category. Profar’s hit also gave him career-highs in home runs (21) and RBIs (79) in a season. Profar continues to lead the league with a .386 on-base percentage thanks to 135 hits (five shy of his career high), 58 walks and 15 hit-by-pitches, a career high and a league high.

— RHP Bryan Hoeing allowed two hits with four strikeouts in 1 1/3 scoreless innings Sunday as a relief for Martín Pérez. In 14 1/3 innings in nine appearances as a Padre, Hoeing has allowed two runs (one earned) on eight hits and four walks with 13 strikeouts for a 0.63 earned run average and .837 WHIP.

— RHP Jason Adams’ streak of 10 consecutive scoreless appearances ended with a solo home run on Sunday. But Adam is still 3-0 as a Padre with a 0.82 ERA and a .636 WHIP while averaging 13.9 strikeouts per nine innings with a 17-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

— RHP Robert Suarez has four wins and seven saves in his last 13 appearances. The Padres have won 14 consecutive games in which Suarez has appeared – surpassed only by the Padres’ streak of 28 consecutive wins in which Suarez has appeared to start the season. Overall, the Padres are 49-2 when Suarez has appeared in a game. Suarez himself is 8-1 with 29 saves in 32 opportunities. He has a 1.75 ERA, a .877 WHIP and an opposing batting average of .189.

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