Before James Wood moved to Bradenton, Fla., to enroll in IMG Academy’s prep baseball program, he befriended a skinny shortstop while playing in a youth summer league as a 14-year-old in Olney, Md. They reconnected on the showcase circuit during their senior years and texted often. After the Padres selected Wood with their second-round pick in July, that skinny shortstop was quick to reach out:
“You better be coming.”
Because Jackson Merrill certainly was.
On Saturday, both Wood and Merrill toured Petco Park as the top two draft picks from the Padres’ 2021 class. Their careers are already well under way in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, aided in part with the ability to lean on each other as they acclimate to professional baseball as the lone high school selections who signed from the class.
The 18-year-old Merrill, a Kentucky recruit, signed for $1.8 million as a pop-up prospect out of Severna Park, Md., an under-slot deal for the 27th overall pick in the draft. The Padres went significantly above the recommendation — $2.6 million to be exact — to lure Wood, 18, away from his commitment to Mississippi State.
The two got together for a workout before heading to Arizona, where they are now roommates.
“At least I’ll be going somewhere where I know somebody, where I’m good friends with somebody,” Wood said. “It was pretty comforting to know I won’t be alone.”
Added Merrill: “I feel like we got lucky. I know some high-schoolers that went somewhere and they were the only high-schooler (in their team’s draft class). They have to start fresh (alone). Us knowing each other helped us get through it.”
The left-handed-hitting Wood, an outfielder who checks in at 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, is hitting .317/.419/.413 with one homer, 12 RBIs and seven steals in Arizona.
Also a left-handed-hitter, Merrill — not so skinny these days as he’s grown into a 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame — is hitting .311/.370/.400 with 10 RBIs and five steals.
The Arizona Complex League runs through Sept. 18.
This story will be updated with Saturday’s scoreboard.
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September 05, 2021 at 08:14AM
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Minors: Padres 2021 draftees Jackson Merrill, James Wood have history - The San Diego Union-Tribune
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