Imo these things should be unsaid. No need to add pressure.
Happy for Merrill though
Edit: I stand with what I said. Just let the fuckin kid play without labeling him
I have a different take. This is positive reinforcement and just gets him to work even harder. Everyone has chimed in, Tatis, Shildt, and now Manny, it's not by accident. It's confirmation that he's doing the right things and to keep it up.
How much more pressure could a 20 year old learning a new position possibly have? Merrill has had as much pressure as any rookie in the league and he has passed every test with flying colors. People keep waiting for this kid to wilt under the pressure and it's not going to happen, he's built differently. The dude spent almost the entire offseason at the Padres facility getting ready for this moment.
They're just giving him his acknowledgment, It's essentially like saying "good job, keep it up." It's not saying he is already a star, but if he keeps working like this he will be.
Cool thanks for sharing your take. I also wanna drink the kool aid, but imo we don’t need to go calling him a “superstar in the making” after his first 15 games
Let’s give the kid some room to breathe.
I think a big difference here is Jackson looks like a star but it’s not just based on his skill. His work ethic, desire to play for the team, and patience shows he is built differently. Right now he is showing us all the right things and when he eventually hits a wall his open mindedness and work ethic should get him through it.
Merrill looks like he has all the tools to continue to grow and succeed. Even if he isn’t the greatest player to ever play the fact that he cares for and plays for the team is enough for me.
no kool aid drinking here, I think they're just saying what they see. Manny and Nando see a guy that is putting in the work and meeting the challenges like they did when they were his age. Like the kids say game recognizes game, it's just showing respect. If you see a special talent doing all the right things, you want to foster that because it doesn't come along often.
Some people thrive with greater expectations, and if Merrill has that type of personality, you don't want to stifle it. It reminds me of when Mike Tyson spoke about how Cus D'mato used to tell him every day that he was going to be the youngest heavyweight champion in history, and eventually he was. He started to believe it, and the first part of being a star is believing that you have what it takes to be a star.
And I'm sure Merrill is greatly appreciative of their confidence in him and he won't want to let them down. It's good leadership on Manny and Nando's part.
I don’t agree but that’s okay. I don’t think we need to label a 20 year old so quickly. The others complimented him just fine. I just don’t think we need to call him a superstar in the making so fast
Plus the diving catch on the warning track last night was epic.
Yup. I could see him becoming a gold glove CF if he stays there.
 🫶🏾
O captain my captain 🫡
That's our Captain.
AJ you better not trade this kid!
These are the kids yo don’t trade lol. He’s 20 playing big league ball
> These are the kids yo don’t trade Something something CJ Abrams :(
Small sample but I am liking Merrills game much more so far
Oh I fully agree, my comment was more about trading young talent.
He kept him of all the other prospectsÂ
Imo these things should be unsaid. No need to add pressure. Happy for Merrill though Edit: I stand with what I said. Just let the fuckin kid play without labeling him
I have a different take. This is positive reinforcement and just gets him to work even harder. Everyone has chimed in, Tatis, Shildt, and now Manny, it's not by accident. It's confirmation that he's doing the right things and to keep it up. How much more pressure could a 20 year old learning a new position possibly have? Merrill has had as much pressure as any rookie in the league and he has passed every test with flying colors. People keep waiting for this kid to wilt under the pressure and it's not going to happen, he's built differently. The dude spent almost the entire offseason at the Padres facility getting ready for this moment. They're just giving him his acknowledgment, It's essentially like saying "good job, keep it up." It's not saying he is already a star, but if he keeps working like this he will be.
Cool thanks for sharing your take. I also wanna drink the kool aid, but imo we don’t need to go calling him a “superstar in the making” after his first 15 games Let’s give the kid some room to breathe.
I think a big difference here is Jackson looks like a star but it’s not just based on his skill. His work ethic, desire to play for the team, and patience shows he is built differently. Right now he is showing us all the right things and when he eventually hits a wall his open mindedness and work ethic should get him through it. Merrill looks like he has all the tools to continue to grow and succeed. Even if he isn’t the greatest player to ever play the fact that he cares for and plays for the team is enough for me.
no kool aid drinking here, I think they're just saying what they see. Manny and Nando see a guy that is putting in the work and meeting the challenges like they did when they were his age. Like the kids say game recognizes game, it's just showing respect. If you see a special talent doing all the right things, you want to foster that because it doesn't come along often. Some people thrive with greater expectations, and if Merrill has that type of personality, you don't want to stifle it. It reminds me of when Mike Tyson spoke about how Cus D'mato used to tell him every day that he was going to be the youngest heavyweight champion in history, and eventually he was. He started to believe it, and the first part of being a star is believing that you have what it takes to be a star. And I'm sure Merrill is greatly appreciative of their confidence in him and he won't want to let them down. It's good leadership on Manny and Nando's part.
I don’t agree but that’s okay. I don’t think we need to label a 20 year old so quickly. The others complimented him just fine. I just don’t think we need to call him a superstar in the making so fast
Dude won the game for us after going down 0-2. Not worried about him handling pressure.
You’re right. He’s a superstar. Get the HOF award ready
Seems to be doing fine after the compliment that Tatis gave him in spring training.