Padres centerfielder Jackson Merrill should be the National League’s rookie of the year

Awards season is fast approaching, and it looks like the most interesting of all the major awards will be the one for the National League Rookie of the Year. Or the Paul Skenes Award, as many believed when the Pirates’ right-hander was mowing down hitters in the middle of the season. But with September approaching, it’s 21-year-old center fielder Jackson Merrill who has turned heads and may well have earned the award.

Merrill entered the season as a complete unknown and, frankly, a question mark. Yes, the former first-round draft pick was talented, capable and confident, and he earned his spot on the Padres’ opening-game roster. But after moving from shortstop to centerfield, the team’s top prospect faced a learning curve to navigate the big leagues while also learning a new position on the fly.

Well, the Padres rookie not only looked confident in his first season in the Major League, he also blossomed and was the driving force behind the Padres’ turnaround and their rapid rise in the standings in the second half of the season.

But when it comes to winning Rookie of the Year, we have to look at the numbers first. And the numbers say Merrill has been one of the best players in baseball this season. He has a batting average of .291/.324/.494 with 22 doubles, six triples, 20 home runs, 76 RBI and 15 stolen bases. He leads all rookies with a 4.1 fWAR and was named an NL All-Star in his first MLB season.

And it’s not just that Merrill has played well. He’s gotten better as the season has gone on. Many rookies hit their limits in their first major league season, but Merrill has performed well all summer. Since June 12, he has a batting average of .304/.332/.608, with 16 of his 20 home runs coming in the last 10 weeks.

The other side of winning an award is the story, the X-factor, the intangibles – whatever word you want to use to describe qualities beyond a player’s numbers. For Merrill, that was his ability to stand out in important moments. He has hit six game-tying or lead-winning home runs this season, tying him with Hall of Famer Frank Robinson as the player with the most home runs under the age of 21.

Merrill’s ability to rise to the occasion is what sets him apart from other young players. He thrives in the big moments, and it’s easy to see him embracing them. Right now, there’s no player San Diego wants more at bat in a big situation than the young star.

The Padres’ offense has taken a significant leap in performance overall since Merrill took his game to a new level. And even more than the increase in runs scored, San Diego’s chances of making the postseason have improved tremendously during the rookie’s hot streak.

In June, the Padres appeared to be a team that would fall by the wayside in the playoffs, and their chances of reaching the postseason seemed slim. But since the All-Star break, the Padres have the second-best record in MLB at 26-11, and their offense ranks fourth in runs scored during that span.

Have the Padres improved with a revamped bullpen, an increasingly healthy roster and more production throughout the lineup? Absolutely. But you can’t ignore how Merrill was a catalyst and how he helped fuel San Diego’s turnaround.

Skenes has been dominant and as good as advertised in his first season with the Pirates, who are in last place in the NL Central and far from the playoffs. But Merrill hasn’t just played well; he’s been a driving force in getting his team to the playoffs, and that’s the difference. Jackson Merrill should be the NL Rookie of the Year.