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Jackson Merrill
#71 · April 3, 2025, 8:47 am
De Vries already appears to have a man's body at 18 and likely will add some good weight as he matures. Padres will try to keep him as long as they can at shortstop, however, if he starts to lose a little range a shift to LF could be in the offing. De Vries has very good hands and a strong arm so unless we see serious upside from Jhoan de la Cruz, Deivid Coronil or Cobb Hightower (Padres played him at 2b in ST), expect De Vries to continue to be the #1 ss prospect and move up the minor league system quickly provided he can handle all the weather elements and pressures of playing at Hi A at a young age at Ft. Wayne. If he can, don't rule out mid to late season promotion to AA San Antonio this year (like Tatis did back in 2017). If he can get close to the numbers that Tatis put up at a similar age in Ft. Wayne, he will solidify himself as the real deal.
Doesn't quite have the bat to ball skills as Merrill (not many do) and chases a little bit more, but already has flashed more power than Merrill showed at a similar age and better exit velocity than Salas; as he matures, expect both his pitch recognition and swings outside the strike zone to improve. Like Merrill, De Vries is another gym rat who loves the game and loves to play with/for his teammates. Agree it would be best to keep him in the minors to avoid any time lost to an uncertain CBA negotiation, however, his success with the bat and the Padres need for another lower cost hitter in the line-up will dictate when they bring him up.
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LynchMob
#72 · April 3, 2025, 9:02 am
Quote from Randy Manese on April 3, 2025, 8:47 amDe Vries already appears to have a man's body at 18 and likely will add some good weight as he matures. Padres will try to keep him as long as they can at shortstop, however, if he starts to lose a little range a shift to LF could be in the offing. De Vries has very good hands and a strong arm so unless we see serious upside from Jhoan de la Cruz, Deivid Coronil or Cobb Hightower (Padres played him at 2b in ST), expect De Vries to continue to be the #1 ss prospect and move up the minor league system quickly provided he can handle all the weather elements and pressures of playing at Hi A at a young age at Ft. Wayne. If he can, don't rule out mid to late season promotion to AA San Antonio this year (like Tatis did back in 2017). If he can get close to the numbers that Tatis put up at a similar age in Ft. Wayne, he will solidify himself as the real deal.
Doesn't quite have the bat to ball skills as Merrill (not many do) and chases a little bit more, but already has flashed more power than Merrill showed at a similar age and better exit velocity than Salas; as he matures, expect both his pitch recognition and swings outside the strike zone to improve. Like Merrill, De Vries is another gym rat who loves the game and loves to play with/for his teammates. Agree it would be best to keep him in the minors to avoid any time lost to an uncertain CBA negotiation, however, his success with the bat and the Padres need for another lower cost hitter in the line-up will dictate when they bring him up.
I also don't think Preller cares about that control issue if he thinks a player can help him win now.
A lot of moving parts starting how Preller views Bogaerts at SS for maybe the next 3-4 years if they also extend Arraez for 1B ... then who they have for LF and DH in that same timeframe. Not sure internally many clear options ... then the best strategy to fill the blanks.
However, an issue that I expect to surface in 2028 on a more permanent basis.
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LynchMob
#73 · May 9, 2025, 6:34 pm
Jackson Merrill is possessed with baseball.
This kid is just different.
Having him and Fernando for the next 10 years is such a blessing to this Padre fan.
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#75 · May 10, 2025, 8:25 pm
San Diego ownership doesn't have infinite resources like the Dodgers so we have to be happy with what Preller puts together on his limited budget. So far, the last 2 years have been impressive in gathering players who have outperformed the back of their baseball cards. It will be another challenge after 2025 but I wouldn't put it past Preller to keep us in that window of contention for several more years.
P.S. Jackson Merrill is a beast at the plate. One of the prettiest swings in the majors and a true superstar in the making.
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