Jackson Merrill

From strictly an advanced data standpoint, Merrill grades out favorably with the best hitting prospects in the game. A big 6-foot-3, lefty-hitting shortstop, Merrill has only played 45 games at Single-A and 22 games in the Arizona Fall League, but his 90th percentile exit velocity and zone contact rate (per Prospects Live) stand out as excellent marks regardless of age/level. He was sent to the AFL as a teenager to make up for the time he lost early in the year with a wrist injury, and while he hit just one home run in 98 plate appearances, scouts thought he was one of the best prospects in the league. Merrill will keep filling out his frame and all signs point to monster game power and a potentially plus hit tool, although he might not chip in more than a handful of steals. The Padres always push prospects of his ilk, so don't be surprised if Merrill spends a good chunk of his age-20 season at Double-A while ascending up prospect lists. Read Past Outlooks