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Jackson Merrill a Prime Buy-Low Candidate with Five-Category Upside

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Jul 16, 2026, 11:27 AM ET

After an injury-marred 2025 campaign, San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill entered 2026 in search of a bounce-back season. That hasn't fully come to fruition yet, as he's hitting .219/.278/.350 with 10 home runs, 38 RBI, 43 runs scored, and 19 stolen bases across 392 plate appearances on the year. After posting a 17% strikeout rate in his emergent 2024 rookie season, Merrill's strikeout rate is up to 25% in 2026. However, there's still reason to believe that the 23-year-old's batting average should improve in the second half of the season. His 44.9% hard-hit rate is a career-best, and Merrill's .274 batting average on balls in play is well below his career mark of .305. Even amidst his first-half struggles, Merrill still provided fantasy managers with solid counting stats and above-average speed. He profiles as a prime buy-low candidate coming out of the All-Star break.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller
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