Yankees introduced torpedo bats and rest of league likely to join them
The Yankees made waves on opening day with their new torpedo bats and Bob Nightengale explains the impact they will have on the league.
Sports Pulse
After a standout rookie season, the San Diego Padres have decided to make sure Jackson Merrill is part of their long-term future.
On Wednesday, the Padres announced they have signed Merrill to a nine-year, $135 million contract extension. Robert Murray of FanSided was the first to report details of the agreement, which he says can be worth up to $204 million and includes a $30 million club option for a tenth season. Heading into the season, the Padres current payroll ranks ninth in the majors at $208.9 million, according to figures compiled by USA TODAY.
Merrill, 21, was a first-round draft pick by the Padres in 2021 as a shortstop, but was moved to center field last spring because the club already had a pair of veteran middle infielders in Xander Bogaerts and Ha-Seong Kim. Learning a new position on the fly (so to speak), Merrill excelled in the field — ranking sixth among all center fielders last season in Statcast’s Outs Above Average metric (+11).
He also had an excellent season at the plate, winning a Silver Slugger award after hitting .292 with 24 home runs and 90 RBI.
Merrill was named to the National League All-Star team and finished second in the rookie of the year balloting to the Pirates’ Paul Skenes.
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