AACPS Grad Hits 1st MLB Home Run, Builds Stardom Before 21st Birthday

SEVERNA PARK, MD — A young Anne Arundel County native is making a name for himself in the big leagues.

Severna Park High School graduate Jackson Merrill hit his first career home run this week, days after making his MLB debut.

Merrill is already making waves for the San Diego Padres. The starting center fielder is the Padres' No. 2 prospect and the No. 12 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound ballplayer has accomplished all this success before he can even buy a beer.

The 20-year-old doesn't turn 21 until later this month.

"He's been the youngest on all of his teams," his mother, Jennie Merrill, told WJZ. "His birthday is April 19, the cutoff is April 30. So he's always had to work the hardest. He's always got to be the best. He's got to be as good as the other guys, or even better."

Less than three years ago, Merrill collected his high school diploma. Later that summer, the San Diego Padres came calling and selected him with the 27th pick in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

"When he got drafted, we sort of knew he's got a chance to make it in the pros at the major league level but he's done it faster than we thought," father Josh Merrill told WJZ.

Merrill quickly climbed through the Minor Leagues and earned a spot on the Padres' Opening Day roster thanks to a strong spring training.

He made his MLB debut on March 20 in a 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Seoul, South Korea.

Merrill collected his first career hit, a single, the next day. He followed that with his first double later in the game en route to a 15-11 win over the Dodgers to cap off the Seoul series.

Merrill returned to San Diego and swatted his first homer this Monday against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The left-handed batter drilled a 93 mph fastball, sending it on a line drive over the left field fence.

"Just going up there looking for something in the middle," Merrill said, according to MLB.com. "I was ready for his pitch to hit."

Merrill rounded the bases after his solo shot, line drive off right-handed pitcher Kyle Gibson.

Merrill's teammates ignored him momentarily when he returned to the dugout, continuing MLB's silent treatment tradition after a player's first homer. They mobbed him seconds later to celebrate properly.

"I'll probably watch the video 40 million times," Merrill said, according to MLB.com.

The fan who caught the homer returned the ball to Merrill in exchange for a bat, MLB.com said.

A video of the home run, which came in a 6-2 loss, is posted here.

Through Merrill's first eight games, he had a .240 batting average with one home run and two runs batted in.