Jackson Merrill deserved to win the Rookie of the Year over Paul Skenes.

The MLB Rookie of the Year was just recently announced, and an abundance of controversy arose from it. Pittsburgh Pirates Pitcher Paul Skenes won the National League (NL) Rookie of the Year with 136 points out of 270, while San Diego Padres center outfielder Merrill got 104 points.

Skenes edged out Merrill by a slim margin of 32 points, and a lot of controversy emerged among some MLB fans. Many fans thought that Merrill should have won the award, and they have the stats to back it up.

Merrill was a phenomenal player all year for the Padres, as the Padres selected him for their opening-day roster, unlike Skenes. Merrill made his major league debut on March 19, 2024, making him the fourth player under 21 to make an opening-day start at center field.

Meanwhile, Skenes made his major league debut on May 11, 2024, which is 53 days after Merrill made his. Why did it take so long to call up the Rookie of the Year? Shouldn’t the Rookie of the Year be ready to start on Day 1?

Not only did Merrill, start, but he recorded amazing stats.  In total, he played 156 games and led rookies in almost every stat. 

Merrill’s impressive season earned him the most hits, most extra-base hits, RBIs, batting average, slugging average, and home runs for a rookie.  This was the first time that a rookie has led in all six of these stats at the same time. 

He had more home runs than many notable names, such as Fernando Tatis Jr., Ketel Marte, and Dansby Swanson.

Merrill was also the most clutch player in the MLB.  He had 6 game-tying or go-ahead home runs in the 8th inning or later, more than anyone in baseball.  This is the most by a 21-year-old or younger since 1990.

Merrill’s outstanding batting average of .292 was the 12th-best in the MLB and first among rookies. Merrill also had the most hits among MLB rookies, with 162 hits, which put him at number 20 in the league for total hits on the year.

Merrill also had 61 extra-base hits last season.  This is another stat that Merrill leads rookies in. Merrill raked in 90 RBIs (Runs Batted In) this season, which is also first among rookies this year.   The last stat that Merrill leads for rookies is slugging average.  He had a slugging average of .500.

Merrill’s stats this season were impeccable, with him leading 6 major stats among rookies. Basically, Merrill has done things that no other rookie has ever been able to do.

“Jackson Merrill, for me, is undoubtedly the Rookie of the Year.  As a fan of the Padres,  I watch him play week in and week out, and he is incredible.  He’s always showing up in big games and helping contribute to the team in any way he can,” says Saint Paul’s sophomore Kelly Thompson, who is an avid Padres fan.

Moving onto Skenes, Paul Skenes didn’t come close to Merrill’s number of games played. Skenes had some great pitching stats but only played in 23 games for the Pirates this season, compared to Merrill’s 156 games played. He pitched 133.0 innings this season, which ranked 93rd in the MLB for innings pitched.

Consistency is key, and between the two, Merrill is distinctly more consistent.

Another reason Merrill should have won Rooke of the Year is that his team, the Padres, was a playoff team that was a serious World Series contender with a record of 93-69. This record earned them the fourth-best record in the MLB, and Merrill contributed greatly to this record.

Meanwhile, Skenes played for the Pirates, a mediocre team. Their lackluster season earned them a record of 76-86, and they missed out on a playoff spot. 

Although Skenes won the Rookie of the Year award, and although he is an LSU product who local fans root for, other MLB fans believe that this award should have gone to Merrill, as he did things that no other rookie even came close to doing. Skenes had a great season, but Merrill was spectacular, so he deserved the Rookie of the Year award.

Featured Image Photo Credit: SI.com / Ryan Phillips