Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill should be the National League Rookie of the Year

We’re inching closer to award season, and it’s looking like the most interesting of all the major awards will wind up being National League Rookie of the Year. Or the Paul Skenes Award, as many believed it would be when the Pirates right-hander was mowing down hitters during the middle of the season. But as we sit on the brink of September, it’s 21-year-old center fielder Jackson Merrill who has opened eyes and potentially earned himself the honors.

Merrill came into the season as a complete unknown and, honestly, a question mark. Yes, the former first-round draft pick was talented, toolsy and confident, and he earned his way onto the Padres’ Opening Day roster. But after he converted from shortstop to center field full-time, there was going to be a learning curve for the team’s top prospect to navigate playing in the big leagues while learning a new position on the fly.

Well, not only has the Padres rookie looked comfortable during his first big-league season but he’s also thriving and has been the driving force behind the Padres’ turnaround and surge up the standings in the season's second half.

But when it comes to winning Rookie of the Year, we first have to look at the numbers. And the numbers say that Merrill has been one of the best players in baseball this season. He’s slashing .291/.324/.494 with 22 doubles, six triples, 20 homers, 76 RBI and 15 stolen bases. He’s leading 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 has continued to get better as the season has gone on. Many times, rookies hit a wall during their first season in the big leagues, but Merrill has continued to produce through the summer. Since June 12, he’s slashing .304/.332/.608 with 16 of his 20 homers coming in the past 10 weeks.