FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Fort Wayne TinCaps shortstop Jackson Merrill has been selected to play in Major League Baseball’s 2023 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game. The exhibition showcasing baseball’s best prospects is scheduled for Saturday, July 8 at 7 p.m. at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park.
The team released the following:
Merrill will be the second-ever active TinCaps player to appear in the Futures Game. Outfielder Robert Hassell became the first last year. (Fort Wayne was a Low-A affiliate from 1993-2019 before a promotion to High-A.)
MLB.com ranks Merrill as the 12th best prospect in the sport, and No. 1 in the San Diego Padres farm system.
He opened the season as the ninth youngest player in the Midwest League. Despite just turning 20 in April, Merrill ranks 13th in the circuit in batting average (.266). Since May 5, over his last 40 games, his .301 average is fifth best.
For the season, Merrill also ranks sixth in the league in hits (65) and seventh in runs (40). He has the fifth-lowest strikeout rate (12%), along with the eighth-lowest swinging strike rate (6%). Meanwhile, Merrill has produced 11 doubles, two triples, and seven home runs. Scouts have been impressed by his defense as well.
The son of school teachers, Merrill grew up in Severna Park, Md. He was selected by the Padres in the 1st round of the 2021 MLB Draft (27th overall) out of Severna Park High School.
The seven-inning contest, featuring a total of 50 prospects, will be played in a National League vs. American League format and will air exclusively on Peacock and SiriusXM.
The American League pitching staff includes left-hander Joey Cantillo, who was an All-Star with the TinCaps in 2019. Cantillo was traded to Cleveland in 2020 and is currently with Triple-A Columbus.
Merrill and the TinCaps are on the road this week, visiting the Lake County Captains (Cleveland Guardians affiliate). Fort Wayne has won five of its last seven games, including a 2-1 start to the second half of the season. The ’Caps will return to home action at Parkview Field on the Fourth of July against the West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit Tigers affiliate), the start of a six-game homestand. Tickets are available through TinCaps.com, by calling 260-482-6400, and at the Parkview Field Ticket Office.
