Padres in Mix for Postseason Honors – Rookie of Year for Merrill, Top Skipper for Shildt
The Padres' Jackson Merrill and Mike Shildt are finalists for two of baseball's top honors, while Merrill and two other Friars snagged Silver Sluggers.
Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill and manager Mike Shildt are finalists for two of baseball’s top honors.
Merrill joined the Brewers’ Jackson Chourio and Pirate Paul Skenes in the running for National League Rookie of the Year.
The three NL finalists for Manager of the Year were all first-year skippers – though Shildt had managed before taking over the Padres’ top job last season. The Mets’ Carlos Mendoza and the Brewers’ Pat Murphy also made the cut.
Big time players doing big things ???? pic.twitter.com/I7XyOJOljS
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) November 12, 2024
Merrill had more hits (162), extra-base hits (61) and RBIs (90) than any other rookie in the majors and topped them in batting average (.292) and slugging percentage (.500) too. He also made an impact with the game on the line, with five home runs that either tied the game or put the Friars ahead.
Shildt dealt with high expectations – and the serious letdown of a team that fell short of them in 2023 – by managing the team to a 93-69 finish and a wild-card playoff spot.
The rookie award is set to be announced Monday, and the managerial honor on Tuesday.
That's our Skipper ???? pic.twitter.com/9lI6z6r1dR— San Diego Padres (@Padres) November 11, 2024
Superstars are naturally in the mix for MVP, with the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani a finalist for his first NL MVP – he won the honor twice as an Angel in the American League. Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte join him as finalists.
Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is a finalist for his second AL MVP in three seasons, joined by teammate – and former Padre –Juan Soto and Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
The Friars have other links to some other finalists.
Tiger Tarik Skubal, the Royals’ Seth Lugo – another former Padre – and the Guardians’ closer Emmanuel Clase are the finalists for the AL Cy Young Award.
Clase is the first reliever to finish among the top three since Trevor Hoffman came in second for the 2006 NL Cy Young.
Balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America is conducted before the postseason with the top three finishers becoming finalists Winners will be revealed next week.
Meanwhile, three Padres captured Silver Sluggers, including Merrill. The award, for the top-hitting players at each position, also went to Jurickson Profar and Manny Machado
Machado won his second, both of them coming during this tenure with the Padres. Merrill and Profar each received his first.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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