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Padres rookie Jackson Merrill set to debut glow-in-the-dark Star Wars lightsaber bat for 'Players Weekend'

Wade-Peeryby:Wade Peery•08/16/24
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© Denis Poroy-USA TODAY Sports

Players across baseball have tried to spice things up a bit in recent years by playing with different type of bats during ‘Players Weekend’. And on Friday evening, Padres rookie Jackson Merrill let everyone know about a special one he’ll be playing with for ‘Players Weekend’ this year. Players across the league are permitted to use custom bats. And he’ll be playing with a glow-in-the-dark Star Wars lightsaber bat.

The Padres are facing the Colorado Rockies on Friday night. For those unfamiliar with Players Weekend, it’s an annual Major League Baseball event held. Players on all MLB teams can wear colorful uniforms. The league also relaxed the rules for cleats, batting gloves, wristbands, compression sleeves, catcher’s masks, and bats, allowing the players to use customized gear.

The multi-day event was created “to give players the opportunity to express their personal style, appeal to the youth demographic, and acquaint hometown fans with newer team members.”

Jackson Merrill hasn’t disappointed in his rookie campaign in the major leagues, hitting 17 home runs with 66 RBIs and 120 hits in 118 games so far.

He was selected in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. They took him with the No. 27 overall pick. Merrill signed with San Diego for a $1.8 million signing bonus, making his major league debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Seoul Series.

He grew up as a fan of the Boston Red Sox. Merrill initially committed to play his college baseball with the Army Black Knights his junior year of high school. His junior year was cancelled due to COVID-19, and he focused on his physical training and gained over 30 pounds of muscle. He’d eventually flip his commitment to the Kentucky Wildcats in the fall of his senior season.

As a high school senior, Merrill batted .500 with 13 home runs and 39 RBIs, earning Maryland Player of the Year honors from the Capital Gazette.

The Padres currently have a 69-53 overall record, ranking them 2nd in the NL West. They’ll have two more games in their series with the Colorado Rockies, one on Saturday night and one on Sunday night.