The San Diego Padres are on-pace to win 90 games for the first time since 2010, bouncing back from a missed postseason and playing like one of the best teams in MLB. A huge part of that is rookie outfielder Jackson Merrill, a 21-year-old who developed as a shortstop and has become an All-Star in his first major league season.

Merrill's .805 OPS, 69 RBI and 124 hits show his value to the Padres on paper. He has been extremely productive for them this season, no doubt about it. But what has also been huge is the way he carries himself. Starting pitcher Michael King said that Merrill's energy is pure and important to the Padres, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com.

“He's 21 years old. Everything he does is baseball,” King said, via MLB.com. “It's not like he has a family that he goes home to and kids that he goes and talks to. He gets to the field and he’s so happy to be here and talks about how we're all his best friends and we're just having fun. Now me, sitting here, having a bad outing — I look at Jackson and I'm like: That’s the mentality that I need to have. It's not just his contagious mentality We go out, and we're playing a kids game, we're loving each other, and it's a lot easier game when you're playing for your brothers.”

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Having someone who hasn’t been worn down by the marathon that is the MLB season is huge at this point in the calendar. With Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ha-Seong Kim both injured, Merrill has been even more important. Having to trade Juan Soto has stung less because of the emergence of the star outfielder.

The Padres, at 71-55, are only three games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the race for the National League West. Merrill is well on the way to leading his team to the playoffs as a youngster.