It is understandable for Padres fans to be upset about the performance of outfielder Jackson Merrill. The second-year player has regressed significantly in 2025. His OPS+ is down from 126 to 97, while his bWAR is down from 4.4 to 1.6. Merrill is getting worse, right?
Or is he? The StatCast advanced metrics tell a better story for Merrill. Take his slugging percentage, for example. Merrill has a .401 slugging percentage, nearly a hundred points lower than his .500 slugging rate in 2024.
However, his expected slugging percentage is .478. Merrill's difference of -.