Jackson Merrill (21, USA), who plays alongside Kim Ha-seong for the San Diego Padres in Major League Baseball (MLB), continues to perform well and has emerged as a strong candidate for the National League Rookie of the Year. In the MLB Rookie of the Year mock voting announced on the 2nd (Korean time), Merrill was ranked second in the National League.

Merrill received two first-place votes. He was ranked second in the National League, behind Pittsburgh Pirates' "mustachioed monster pitcher" Paul Skenes, who swept 30 first-place votes. He received the same number of first-place votes as Japanese pitcher Shota Inamaga of the Chicago Cubs but led in total points. Merrill had fewer first-place votes than Milwaukee Brewers' Joey Ortiz, who was fourth, but had a higher overall score. The fifth place went to rookie pitcher Gavin Stone of the LA Dodgers.

Merrill, who made his big league debut this season, has played in 84 games (as of Korean time on the 2nd), recording a batting average of .294 with 85 hits in 289 at-bats. He has hit 12 home runs, 12 doubles, 1 triple, driven in 42 runs, walked 14 times, struck out 49 times, and stolen 9 bases. He has an on-base percentage of .328, a slugging percentage of .464, and an OPS of .792. Merrill's hot bat in June, with a batting average of .320, has helped lead San Diego's surge.

In the American League, New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil topped the Rookie of the Year mock voting. Gil received 25 first-place votes. Following him were Oakland Athletics pitcher Mason Miller, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser, Boston Red Sox's Wilyer Abreu, and Texas Rangers' Wyatt Langford, rounding out the top five.

National League Rookie of the Year Mock Voting Rankings

1. Paul Skenes (Pittsburgh)
2. Jackson Merrill (San Diego)
3. Shota Inamaga (Cubs)
4. Joey Ortiz (Milwaukee)
5. Gavin Stone (Dodgers)

American League Rookie of the Year Mock Voting Rankings

1. Luis Gil (Yankees)
2. Mason Miller (Oakland)
3. Colton Cowser (Baltimore)
4. Wilyer Abreu (Boston)
5. Wyatt Langford (Texas)

Meanwhile, San Diego has recorded an excellent 8-2 record in their last 10 games. Their season record stands at 46 wins and 42 losses, putting them in second place in the National League. They have narrowed the gap with the division-leading LA Dodgers to 7.5 games. They are ahead of the third-place Arizona Diamondbacks (41 wins, 43 losses) and fourth-place San Francisco Giants (41 wins, 44 losses) by 3 games and 3.5 games, respectively. 먹튀검증