Merrill hit .292 with 24 home runs and 90 RBIs last year during a stellar rookie campaign. / Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Merrill Madness will be sticking around San Diego for the next decade.

On Wednesday, the Padres announced the signing of outfielder Jackson Merrill, 21, to a nine-year contract extension worth $135 million. With escalators based on plate appearances and a $30 million club option for a 10th season, it could be worth up to $204 million. The deal kicks in next season and ties the All-Star to San Diego through at least the 2034 season.

To be frank, it’s an absolute steal for the Padres. Even when taking into account the escalators that are likely to kick in, the average annual value for at least five of Merrill’s free agent years are far under his market value, though he’ll be a free agent at 31 with a chance to sign another big contract.

San Diego selected Merrill with the 27th pick in the 2021 MLB draft when few had a first-round grade on him. A lanky 6’3″ shortstop out of Maryland without a ton of power, he was a bit of an oddity. There were questions about his speed and whether he’d stick at a premium position. The team signed him to a well-below slot deal and let him develop. The one thing scouts didn’t question was Merrill’s makeup and competitiveness. He’s lived up to that reputation while being a revelation on the field.

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Merrill forced his way onto the Padres’ Opening Day roster out of spring training last season at 20 years old, and he was installed as their everyday center fielder, a position he’d never played before. It didn’t matter. He set the league on fire as a rookie, hitting .292 with a .326 on-base percentage while slugging .500. He answered any questions about his power by blasting 24 home runs while driving in 90 runs and only striking out 101 times in 156 games. His .826 OPS and 130 wRC+ were impressive for anyone, let alone a kid who had never played above Double-A.

Not only was he an All-Star who was named second team All-MLB and won a Silver Slugger, Merrill was also clutch. In high-leverage situations, Merrill slashed .276/.364/.618 for an OPS of .982 with seven home runs. He has opened the 2025 campaign on fire, boasting a .400 batting average and an OPS of 1.035 with one home run and six RBIs during the Padres’ 6–0 start.

Merrill’s deal also works to recalibrate San Diego’s future. In December of 2022, the Padres signed Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280 million deal just months after trading for Juan Soto. The idea was to create a long-term core that added those two All-Stars to Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. However well-intentioned, that plan fell apart.

Merrill’s emergence gave them a second chance to build.

Tatis is 26 and under contract through 2034, which means he and Merrill can be the cornerstones the roster can revolve around as Machado and Bogaerts age. The outfield duo could be the best and most exciting in baseball. If top prospects shortstop Leodalis De Vries and catcher Ethan Salas reach the big leagues and fulfill their potential, they could join Tatis and Merrill as the franchise’s foursome of the future and make for a seamless transition.

Given the Padres’ financial situation and the changing dynamics following owner Peter Seidler’s death in November 2023, fans should expect the roster to look far more homegrown moving forward. General manager A.J. Preller will always be willing to swing a big trade when it makes sense, but drafting and development will become more important in San Diego’s future. Merrill is the ultimate example that the strategy can work.

Merrill’s deal also recalls another extension given to a 21-year-old outfielder early into his second season. Six years ago to the date, Ronald Acuña Jr. signed an eight-year, $100 million extension with the Braves. It’s certainly worked out for Atlanta in the form of the 2021 World Series title, the 2023 NL MVP award for Acuña and the Braves consistently being regarded as title contenders.

During the press conference announcing the extension, Preller said Merrill told him he wanted to sign a deal that took care of his family but wouldn’t prevent the Padres from building a great roster around him.

Mission accomplished.