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Fernando Tatis Jr.’s amazing turnaround during the season was one of the best stories for the Padres in 2026. MLB.com’s Brent Maguire recently broke it all down here .
But he wasn’t the only San Diego player to turn it on at the plate as the season progressed. In mid-July, about six weeks after Tatis began his comeback year, Jackson Merrill was in a season-long slump, hitting .214 with an OPS just above .600.
Then something clicked, and the 2024 National League second baseman once again looked like one of the most promising young players in the game.
Let’s take a look at what happened and ask the big question that awaits Merrill in 2027.
What happened in 2026?
.254/.303/.440 slash line, 26 HR, 27 SB, 4.2 FanGraphs WAR in 158 G
That slash line is even more impressive considering Merrill hit .214/.271/.341 in his first 95 games this past season. At the time, he had a 1.0 WAR, largely due to his extra defense in center field, which has been consistent throughout his three-year career. His +26 yardage rate ranks fourth among qualified outfielders since the start of 2024.
But in the attack, Merrill was under water. On July 19th, he had a 72 wRC+ (100 is league average). That ranked 145th out of 150 qualified hitters.
Since that day, Merrill has slashed .316/.351/.590 in 263 plate appearances. His 156 wRC+ was ninth in MLB. His 3.2 fWAR was fifth best in the Majors. No matter how you slice it, the 23-year-old was a top-10 player over the last two months of the season.
Basic stat
Average bat speed in September 2026 74.2 mph
You could fill a boat in San Diego Bay with all the statistics that demonstrate Merrill’s development in the second half. There are many to choose from. Overall, he hit more fly balls and hit the ball harder than in the first half.
A big reason for the power increase was Merrill’s increased bat speed. His 73.4 mph average for the season was a 1.5 mph jump from 2025 and ranked in the 64th percentile of MLB. But consider that during the month of August, Merrill’s bat averaged 73.3 miles per hour, and then he increased it by almost a full tick in September. Its rapid turnover rate rose to 41.6% from 30.3% in the closing month.
The result? A .333 average and .567 slugging percentage – Merrill’s best numbers in any month in which he had at least 50 plate appearances. His 60.6% hard-hit rate—another personal best for the month—was fourth-best in MLB (min. 50 PA). Its solid 19.7% barrel rate ranks fifth.
The biggest question of 2027
Can his approach lead to sustained success?
There was an unusual quality to how Merrill finished the season. Not only because he often swings with full force, but because he does it on pitches you usually don’t want to swing.
Merrill had a chase rate north of 40% in July and August, including a career-worst 42.0% that month. In September, it was 38.4%. By comparison, only seven hitters in 2026 had a strikeout rate in the 40s (min. 1,000 pitches out of the zone).
Additionally, Merrill’s streaks in August and September were among his career highs. In the last month, he hit 30% for the second time in the Majors.
Merrill often carried high strikeout rates and low walk rates. Now, he has mixed high whiff rates over the last two seasons, and especially over the last two months of ’26. It’s a reckless approach, but it’s clearly worked for him. If Merrill stays healthy and maintains his bat speed gains, what he swings at may not matter much in the end; will cause damage.