After his breakout rookie season in 2024, it was not a matter of if Jackson Merrill would sign a contract extension with the San Diego Padres. It was a matter of when.
And on Wednesday, the time arrived.
The Padres and Merrill are in agreement on a nine-year, $135 million extension that begins in 2026 and could reach $204 million with incentives and escalators, sources confirmed to Yahoo Sports. The deal secures one of MLB’s brightest young stars with the Friars for the next decade.
Merrill, now 21, burst onto the scene last season, showing not only that he could hold his own as a major-league center fielder but also that he was already a superstar at the age of 20. After he was drafted as a shortstop and played that position during his quick rise through the minor leagues, San Diego transitioned Merrill to center field for the first time last spring. And it didn’t take long for the team — and the league — to realize that this was no ordinary 20-year-old.
In his first MLB season, Merrill slashed .292/.326/.500 in 156 games and led all rookies in batting average, hits (162), home runs (24), extra-base hits (61) and RBI (90). He also thrived defensively, rating +11 in outs above average in center. Merrill became the first Padres rookie to make the All-Star Game, he finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting behind Paul Skenes, and he helped power San Diego to 93 wins and a spot in the postseason.
Through six games played in 2025, Merrill is slashing .400/.435/.600, with six RBI, one home run and a 190 OPS+.
[Read more: Padres star Jackson Merrill reflects on his rapid rise in MLB and what's ahead in 2025]
The Padres and president of baseball operation AJ Preller have never been afraid to reward their stars and invest in the future. San Diego signed Fernando Tatis Jr. to a 15-year, $341 million extension in 2021, Manny Machado has signed two $300 million deals with the organization, Xander Boegarts is on an 11-year, $280 million free-agent deal, and Jake Cronenworth received a seven-year, $80 million extension in 2023.
At the same time, the unknown nature of the Padres’ ownership situation — and
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