Merrill gives J-Rod taste of his own medicine with unbelievable HR robbery

SAN DIEGO -- With Jackson Merrill patrolling center and Fernando Tatis Jr. patrolling right, the Padres have made spectacular home run robberies seem commonplace lately.

But even by the lofty standards of the San Diego outfield … this one was special.

Merrill went way up and over the center-field wall at Petco Park to take a home run away from Julio Rodríguez in the third inning of the Padres’ game against the Mariners on Wednesday night.

Earlier this season, Merrill ranged to right-center field at Petco Park to take a home run away from Tigers phenom Kevin McGonigle, one of the top highlights from Opening Weekend. No doubt, that was an outstanding catch. But the degree of difficulty on Wednesday’s grab went up a notch.

Rodríguez -- himself no stranger to home run robberies, some even at the expense of the Padres -- sent a deep drive to straightaway center, where the wall is a couple feet higher. Merrill backtracked, then leapt and stretched his glove arm well beyond the fence to make the catch.

“You’ve just got to be comfortable and also know your surroundings,” Merrill said after robbing McGonigle. “Jumping when you have a little bit of room, so you can kind of get over the wall and give yourself more space.”

Robbing home runs is an art form, and Merrill -- who had never played outfield in his life before making the transition in his 2024 rookie season -- is becoming quite the artist.