San Diego Padres star center fielder Jackson Merrill has cashed in with a nine-year, $135 million contract extension, according to FanSided's Robert Murray. The extension reportedly can “max out” at $2o4 million and “includes a $30 million club option for a tenth season that can convert to a player option.” The deal begins in 2026.

The 27th pick in 2021, the 21-year-old Merrill burst onto the scene as a rookie last season, hitting 24 home runs and knocking in 90 runs with a slash line of .292/.326/.500. He was named an All-Star, came second in NL Rookie of the Year voting behind Paul Skenes and finished ninth in NL MVP voting.

Merrill helped lead the Padres to the brink of the NLCS when they went up 2-1 on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS. The youngster had a monster Game 2 on the road at Dodger Stadium, racking up three hits and his first career playoff homer in a 10-2 win.

While San Diego won Game 3, Merrill went hitless in that game and the final two games of the series as Los Angeles came back. The Dodgers went on to win the World Series after the Padres' heartbreaking series, but it was a good lesson for the team.

Jackson Merrill's start to 2025 Padres season

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Merrill is now trying to take that next step as a superstar. So far, so good.

The center fielder is hitting .400 through six games with a home run and six RBI, and his OPS stands at an outstanding 1.035. Oh, and the Padres haven't lost a game yet, running out to a 6-0 start with a plus-22 run differential. That's one run better than the 7-0 Dodgers and tops in MLB overall.

Many expected Merrill to get this new contract after his outstanding rookie season, and now the deal is done. Now he can fully focus on blossoming into the superstar he seems destined to be as he tries to lead San Diego to a World Series. We can expect plenty more battles between Jackson Merrill and the Dodgers in the future.