Jackson Merrill knows how to celebrate.
Hours after agreeing to a new nine-year, $135 million contract extension with the San Diego Padres, the 21-year-old center fielder blasted a home run to give the Padres a 4-0 lead over the Cleveland Guardians.
The at-bat came against Ben Lively, with two outs in the bottom of the third inning and the Padres already up 2-0. Lively hung a curveball on the first pitch and Merrill clobbered it. He launched it 388 feet into the right field bleachers as the ball came off his bat at 108.5 mph.
Jackson Merrill is a San Diego Padre. pic.twitter.com/TlkvZYArjW
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 2, 2025
It was Merrill's second home run in as many days, as he tattooed one Tuesday night as well.
Out of the yard for The Kid 💥 pic.twitter.com/jE4nrNlrkv
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 2, 2025
Merrill had a stellar rookie season in 2024, slashing .292/.326/.500 with 25 home runs and 90 RBIs. He was an All-Star, was named second-team All-MLB and won a Silver Slugger award. He won't turn 22 until April 19.
Merrill's new deal is incredibly team-friendly and helps secure the Padres' future moving forward.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jackson Merrill Celebrates New Contract Extension by Crushing Another Home Run.
