Padres rookie Jackson Merrill joins Ken Griffey Jr., Andruw Jones as the only center fielders to start on opening day before 21st birthday in last 59 years
At this point, it’s a bit anticlimatic. The Padres' Jackson Merrill has been trending toward starting in center field on opening day for quite some time, by virtue of both his own production in the Cactus League as well as the fact that A.J. Preller did not add a center fielder with bona fide big-league credentials to the spring competition. The club that Merrill is joining early Wednesday morning is jaw-dropping just the same. Since 1965, only Ken Griffey Jr.
471 to force his way into the opening day lineup as a minor-league signee. The 29-year-old Murrieta Valley High School product , Wade is a veteran seven big-league seasons. He hit .255/.309/.314 in 26 games with the A’s in 2023 and is a .217/.293/.300 hitter over 709 plate appearances in the majors. Wade will hit eighth on Wednesday in a lineup that looks as expected up top, based on the most recent exhibition editions.
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