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The San Diego Padres, once briefly division leaders in the NL West, are now two games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers and looking to cement themselves in MLB's postseason field.
The Padres had an off day on Monday ahead of a pivotal three-game series against the New York Mets, but their most recent win — a 9-6 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday — showcased positive play from outfielders Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill, something that will prove to be pivotal for the club down the stretch.
After the win, Padres manager Mike Shildt made sure to give them their flowers.
Shildt believes Merrill, Tatis Jr. make up 'as good a duo' as there is in baseball
But he also took things a step further in his praise of the outfield pair.
Tatis Jr. and Merrill, hitting in the top two spots of the Padres' lineup, were responsible for scoring five of the team's nine runs in Sunday's game. Tatis Jr. went 3-4 at the plate as the leadoff hitter, crossing the plate three times and stealing a base, while Merrill went 2-5 with a double and a three-run home run.
"Those two guys... and I am biased when I say this, but from a skillset, when you think about competition and how you beat the other team, the skillset between 'Tati' and Jackson is as good a duo that I believe there is in the game," Shildt said, via Padres on SI's Aaron Coloma. "They can do it all, and it was on display today."
Both sluggers may be performing slightly below their career averages in 2025, but they have played an important role in the Padres' offense this season.
Merrill has had two separate stints on the injured list this season — once for a concussion, and another time for an ankle sprain — but has gone on to hit .259 with 13 home runs, 60 RBIs and a .753 OPS. Tatis Jr., meanwhile, has emerged as one of the top defensive outfielders in baseball, in addition to putting together a .264/.367/.438 slash line with 22 home runs, 65 RBIs, 102 runs scored and a career-high 30 stolen bases.
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