Jackson Merrill’s impressive season would’ve earned him the award in most years
San Diego Padres’ Jackson Merrill reacts after a foul ball hit his ankle while batting in the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 in San Diego, CA. , but Skenes’ historic season landed him 23 of the 30 first-place votes by baseball writers.
Under the current labor pact adopted in 2021, teams can be awarded a high-end draft pick if one of their players wins the Rookie of the Year award or finishes in the top three of voting for the Cy Young and MVP awards before he qualifies for arbitration. So far, draft picks ranging from the 29th to the 32nd slot have gone to the Mariners, Diamondbacks and Orioles, respectively. The signing bonuses for the players drafted ranged from $2.7 million to $3.2 million.
The Padres drafted Merrill 27th overall out of his Maryland high school and signed him fast enough that he played 31 games later that season, getting his professional career off to a quick start In a further display of the staff’s conviction in Merrill, Preller traded center fielder Trent Grisham and his $5.5 million salary last December, then dealt four minor-league centerfielders in the following seven months. Each one of those trades contributed to the ‘24 team winning 93 games and a playoff berth.A top-three finish in either the 2025 or 2026 MVP votes would bring the Padres a pick.The Pirates, for their part, won’t get a draft pick despite Skenes winning the award.
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