Tom Krasovic: Jackson Merrill, Pete Crow-Armstrong front and center as playoffs begin

Watch out for Jackson Merrill when the Padres face the Chicago Cubs in their best-of-three Wild Card Series that begins Tuesday at Wrigley Field.

Set back by a concussion in June and a foot and ankle injury in August, the center fielder heated up in September, racking up 16 extra-base hits and a .718 slugging percentage over his final 19 games.

“See ball, hit ball,” said Merrill, a 22-year-old who’s headed to his second postseason.

The Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong, 23, will make it a pair of entertaining young center fielders in this series.

Given Crow-Armstong’s rare speed and ballhawking skills that wow scouts and advanced metrics alike, Padres hitters will want to hit the ball over Wrigley Field’s ivy-covered walls rather than test Armstrong in the gaps.

Padres pitchers will take into account that Crow-Armstrong chases pitches at a very high rate, making him prone to strikeouts.

He’s also prone to doing big things. The left-hander hit 31 home runs and stole 35 bases during the regular season.

Among those who noticed the young fella’s breakout season was Merrill.

“He’s a really good guy. I’m happy for the season he had,” Merrill said Sunday after hitting two doubles in the Padres’ final regular-season game. “I’m just excited about playing.”

These two should be fun to watch for years to come.

Merrill put up a very good rookie year and a fine second season, helping two Padres teams reach the playoffs. Also a lefty hitter, he drives pitches to all fields, creating problems for a wide array of opponents. Seven of those drives in the past 19 games have gone for home runs.

Defensively, Merrill is above average. This year, the converted shortstop threw baserunner outs at a higher rate than last season.

It’s Merrill’s competitive makeup, though, that stands out the most.

This season, Merrill has weathered the challenges of two major injuries. By September, he had improved at countering tactics that had tormented him. He ended up with 16 home runs, 24 doubles and an adjusted OPS that was 12% better than the big-league average.

Competing well as a teammate matters, too. There, Merrill earns A+ grades. Even when he was coping with a hitting funk or an injury, Merrill remained front and center for his teammates. He was quick to congratulate them. When not on the field, he was an attentive presence, leaning over the dugout railing.

By supporting teammates no matter what personal challenges one is experiencing, a player can set a tone for the team, Merrill said.

“It sucks to be struggling. It sucks for everyone to struggle,” he said. “But if you keep your head high and bring good energy always, it’s contagious. Everyone’s going to have that same energy when they’re struggling, too. It helps the team become better.

“You can go home and think about your (game) and reflect,” Merrill added. “But when you’re at the field, you’ve got to be supporting everyone around you, letting them support you. too.”

Scouts have noticed. They said Merrill’s energy, not just his baseball skills, makes the Padres more formidable.

“It’s just my mindset,” Merrill said. “You play baseball because you’re a team. Without your teammates, you’d be nothing.”

There’s a fire to Crow-Armstrong’s game, too, and to his interactions with teammates. Veteran teammates say they feed off his enthusiasm.

Merrill sees it, too. “I like it,” he said.

Crow-Armstrong and Merrill were both first-round picks out of high school.

In 2020, the Mets took Crow-Armstrong with the 19th pick. Their scout who signed the San Fernando Valley product, Tommy Tanous, called him “the left-handed magician in center field.”

The Cubs got Crow-Armstrong a year later in the trade that sent shortstop Javier Baez to New York.

Crow-Armstrong’s magic in center field has translated well to the big leagues. As a hitter, he has unlocked his power by making swing changes recommended by the Cubs soon after the trade.

Merrill was drafted a year after Crow-Armstrong, going 27th overall in 2021.

Drafted as a shortstop, Merrill didn’t learn center field until he entered the big leagues in 2024. And in part because of his faith in Merrill, Padres GM A.J. Preller boosted the big-league team further by dealing several other center fielders in the farm system.

High school draftees. High-energy performers and teammates. College-aged second-year big-leaguers who already hold advanced degrees in baseball. Merrill and Crow-Armstrong have much in common.

But only one will advance to the Division Series at Milwaukee.

Seamhead stuff

The biggest key in this wild-card series? “Our starting pitching,” said Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove. “We’re trying to get to where we can go to our bullpen with a lead.”

There will be challenges. Musgrove mentioned Wrigley Field’s unpredictable winds. “This is a good team we’re going to face with really good pitching, a dangerous lineup and a ballpark that’s very unpredictable,” he said.

Fernando Tatis Jr. was asked what enabled him to light up the postseason last year. “Honestly,” he said, “I think you have more mental energy than you have over the long season.” He said his concentration was excellent.