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HomePhotographyThe Padres’ Jackson Merrill, Robert Suarez, Luis Arraez headed to All-Star Game,...

The Padres’ Jackson Merrill, Robert Suarez, Luis Arraez headed to All-Star Game, too – San Diego Union-Tribune

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Jackson Merrill couldn’t care less about the All-Star Game.

That’s been his stance throughout this productive start to his first season in the majors.

Maybe his tune changes a bit: The 21-year-old center fielder is, officially, an All-Star and the first one as a rookie in Padres franchise history. He joins Luis Arraez and Robert Suarez on the National League roster as reserves were announced on Sunday.

The additions give the Padres, currently the NL’s second wild- card team, five All-Stars, although only four will attend as Fernando Tatis Jr. is on the injured list with a stress reaction in his right quad. The last time the Padres had five All-Stars was in 2021.

Merrill, Suarez and Jurickson Profar are first-time All-Stars, with Profar voted into the starting lineup earlier this week alongside the injured Tatis.

The Padres starting outfield represents three of the top four NL outfielders in WAR, as measured by Fangraphs: Profar (3.2), the Mets’ Brandon Nimmo (2.8), Merrill (2.5) and Tatis (2.5).

Merrill is hitting .288/.322/.454 with 12 homers, 46 RBIs and 10 steals while playing his first-ever games in center field, a position he learned to play in spring training as the choice to replace two-time Gold Glover Trent Grisham.

Nine of Merrill’s 12 homers have come since June 12, a 22-game stretch in which he’s penned a .321/.352/.702 batting line.

At 21 years and 88 days old on July 16, Merrill is the youngest player to selected to an All-Star game since Bryce Harper (20, 273), Manny Machado (21, 10) and Jose Fernandez (20, 350) in 2013.

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The 33-year-old Suarez is third in the NL with 22 saves in 24 tries and has a 1.77 ERA through 36 appearances in his first season as the Padres’ closer.

Arraez entered Sunday with a .315 batting average, second in the NL behind Shohei Ohtani (.316). He is appearing in a third straight All-Star Game, as the previous selections coincided with seasons in which he won batting titles with the Twins and Marlins.



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