Padres radio analysts Jon Schaeffer and Jim Russell made it abundantly clear that San Diego Padres centerfielder Jackson Merrill was snubbed from winning the Rookie of the Year after Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes won the award.
Schaeffer and Russell had strong opinions about Merrill not taking home the accolade as they believed Merrill made a bigger impact for the Padres than Skenes did in Pittsburgh.
Schaeffer and Russell didn’t hold back when they were discussing the Rookie of the Year race on San Diego Sports 760.
“Where was the narrative nationally that this guy’s Mr. Clutch?” Schaeffer said on Jon and Jim. “Jackson Merrill came through in the clutch time and time again—seventh inning or later, eighth inning or later, down or tied, go-ahead or tying moments.
“He had a handful of them, and I don’t recall Paul Skenes having that. Like, oh man, that Cardinals start, he brought them back from the no. Starting pitchers don’t really do that. Jackson Merrill was really good, and he was really clutch. I feel like nationally that wasn’t as relevant as it was locally.”
Russell also shared his thoughts on Merrill losing out on the Rookie of the Year award, making the point that Merrill’s contributions to San Diego mattered.
“There was not one pitch that Paul Skenes threw this year that mattered at all,” Russell began. “They were okay for half the year, they were in the wild card race, but not one pitch mattered as much as what Jackson Merrill did this year.
“Jackson Merrill in August turned into Mr. Clutch. And August in the dog days kind of make or break your seasons. That was a time when you’re dealing with injuries to Luis Arraez, not playing as well, Fernando Tatis Jr. wasn’t in the lineup, Xander Bogaerts was not playing well. What Jackson Merrill did this season was infinitely more impactful to his team that anything Paul Skenes did.”
Since Merrill didn’t win the award, the Padres’ Rookie of the Year drought continues. No Padre has won the award since Benito Santiago in 1987. San Diego has the longest active streak without a winner among all MLB teams.
Even other members of the media were surprised that Merrill didn’t win the award as most voters prefer the position player to the pitcher. Merrill also received more NL MVP votes than Skenes, which further proved the point that Schaeffer and Russell.
