Once again, the young players named Jackson in Major League Baseball are making significant achievements.
San Diego’s Jackson Merrill had a great game, going 3 for 5 and driving in two runs, while Milwaukee’s Jackson Chourio hit a two-run homer and scored twice in the Padres’ 7-3 win over the Brewers. Both players are only 20 years old, although Merrill will turn 21 on Friday.
According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, it’s only the fourth time since RBIs became official in 1920 that two players under 21 have had multiple hits and RBIs in the same game. The last time was in 1965, with Boston’s Tony Conigliaro and Tony Horton.
The other instances were in 1955 (the Washington Senators’ Harmon Killebrew and the Kansas City Athletics’ Clete Boyer) and 1959 (Cincinnati’s Vada Pinson and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Ron Fairly).
Merrill and Chourio, along with 20-year-old Baltimore Orioles infielder Jackson Holiday, are among baseball’s top prospects. Holiday was promoted to the majors last week and got his first career hit on Sunday during the Orioles’ 6-4 win over the Brewers in Baltimore.
“It’s amazing for me to watch these guys. … It’s impressive, there are 20-year-olds over there facing 30-year-olds here,” said Brewers catcher William Contreras through a translator.
Merrill is hitting .356 with a .433 on-base percentage, one homer, seven RBIs, and eight walks in 19 games. He had a two-run single on Monday as part of the Padres’ six-run rally in the fifth inning.
“He’s not trying to do too much,” said Padres manager Mike Shildt. “He understands the player that he is, which is a good one, clearly. He’s got intent with the at-bat he wants to take based on the situation and the pitcher, and he’s just staying within himself and letting his talent play. It’s been impressive.”
The Brewers showed their confidence in Chourio during the offseason by signing him to an eight-year, $82 million contract when he had played just six games above the Double-A level. So far, the pressure of living up to that contract hasn’t bothered him.
