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Padres could be dangerous if Jackson Merrill fixes two glaring red flags for 2026

San Diego Padres fans love Jackson Merrill, and why wouldn't they? The 22-year-old is already considered a star in Major League Baseball through two seasons. He's clutch. He's multi-tooled. He has impressive postseason numbers.

Though his production in two years has been vital to the Padres' success, there is still some more work to be done from Merrill. In order for him to completely break through in this league and be on par with other young outfield studs like Corbin Carroll, Merrill needs to improve in two areas. He needs to steal more bases and he needs to improve his walk rate.