Jackson Merrill

Merrill is one of the bigger draft risers late in the process and in June was getting buzz from around the industry that he wouldn’t get out of the second round. Now listed at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, Merrill has gone through a huge growth spurt over the last six months or so, adding a significant amount of strength that has changed his profile. He’s now showing plus raw power and the teams high on him really like his lefthanded swing and feel for hitting. He has solid bat speed and a swing that’s conducive to hitting the other way, and the defensive tools that should give him a chance to stick at shortstop. He’s an average runner with solid hands and moves well enough to at least stick on the infield, with above-average arm strength. Like many players in the 2021 class, Merrill is a polarizing prospect with a wide range of opinions from the industry. More skeptical evaluators like him as a later Day Two pick and think he should go to school and prove his hitting ability, because he wasn’t at many of the big summer showcase events last summer and his Maryland competition this spring wasn’t great. Previously an Army commit, Merrill is now committed to Kentucky, but there’s been enough heat on him that there’s a real chance he doesn’t make it to campus.