It seems nearly impossible that a 21-year-old former 1st round pick who plays a premium position and made the All-Star game as a rookie is overlooked. That, however, is the case with San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill.
The rookie headlines in the NL are constantly circling around Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Paul Skenes. It’s absolutely warranted, as Skenes appears to be a generational pitching talent, but Merrill also deserves his flowers.
There’s basically nothing Merrill has struggled with in his introduction to Major League Baseball. As of August 20 he’s hitting over .290 with 17 home runs and an .808 OPS. He’s also stolen 13 bases while only being thrown out twice. As for his defense in center field, he’s a top tier defender stats such as outs above average and runs prevented.
Merrill has already taken over as the betting favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year at some sports books.
Collectors have certainly already taken notice, but Merrill cards will surely take another uptick if he does bring in the hardware.
Here are 5 great Merrill cards to add to your collection.
2021 Bowman Draft
In 2021 Bowman Draft, Merrill had his 1st Bowman card. When looking over the card, you may be wondering to yourself, ‘I thought Merrill hit from the left side?’ We’ll, you would be right. The player pictured on Merrill’s 1st Bowman card is someone else: fellow prospect Isaac Frye.
While it’s a shame that Merrill isn’t actually on his own 1st Bowman card, production mistakes of this magnitude don’t happen very often, which makes this a quite collectible error card that would be great for any collection.
You can find the same image throughout the entire Draft run so prices vary depending on rarity and grade but most are still pretty cheap.
2022 Bowman Chrome
If you’re looking for a Merrill Bowman card that actually features his image, look no further than 2022 Bowman Chrome. Personally, I’ve always thought the card design was a bit lacking for this set. But, the multitudes of parallels you can hunt are more pleasing to the eye.
This set is important for Merrill collectors since it’s his first Bowman auto in a flagship Bowman set (such as Draft, Chrome or regular Bowman). Base autographed versions of this one would seem to be a no-brainer based on current pricing.
2023 National Treasures Silhouette
Basketball and football collectors know just how valuable the National Treasures Rookie Patch Auto can be. Yes, baseball is not a license that Panini has, but the National Treasures cards look about as good as they can without sporting a logo or team name.
You may prefer sets like Three & Two or Immaculate, but even with an unlicensed card, the National Treasures auto will still always hold solid value. With fewer than 100 produced, pricing isn’t bad at all.
2024 Chrome Image Variation & Radiating Rookies
It’s difficult to pick just one card from the 2024 Topps Chrome set. The image variation in any set is something I always gravitate towards. And if you’re a Padres fan, this one features Merrill wearing the colorful City Connect uniforms making a heart sign. These have been popular with eBay users.
Chrome saw the addition of the short-printed Radiating Rookies set. It’s a beautiful set that really pops and is one of the better rookie cards you could ever collect of your favorite player and collectors are jumping all over them.
2024 Finest Oil Spill
2024 Finest is one of the most recent sets that Merrill is featured in, though he will of course be in the entire fleet of future 2024 Topps baseball releases.
This one has a bit of a different flavor to it, as base cards now have rarities ranging from common to rare. This specific parallel, called Oil Spill, is one of the more colorful and fun looking cards that Topps has released recently. Collectors are loving this parallel as they are selling for $300+.
You can see all of the Jackson Merrill rookie cards on eBay here.
Below is a current list of the most watched auctions.
Related Stories:
Wrong Photo On Jackson Merrill 2021 Bowman Draft Card Creates Dilemma For Collectors
2021 Bowman Draft Baseball Puts Focus On Future Stars
Sports Card Release Calendar: 12/31/21 – 1/25/22
Notes: Chrome Basketball; All-10 1986 Fleer Set Sale; MJ Shoes Deal; Gary Brackett Selling Super Bowl Ring
Notes: Lawlar Superfractor Pulled; The Company Formerly Known as Topps; Cards’ Winter Warmup Axed; Big Puck Auction
2022 Bowman Chrome Baseball Preview
Millions Spent on Fernando Tatis Jr. Cards Serve as Cautionary Tale
2023 Bowman Chrome Baseball to Arrive with Prospects, Rookies
