San Diego Padres rookie equals Seattle Mariners legend in baseball history

Most Seattle Mariners fans who rooted for the team in the 1990s remember the Ken Griffey Jr. phenomenon.

From helping lead the Mariners to their first playoff appearance to being part of the starting lineup for the first game at T-Mobile Park to enjoying the best years of a career that would eventually earn him a Hall of Fame spot, Griffey Jr. is arguably the most important figure in Seattle sports history.

Griffey Jr. is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time. So when a player does something that puts him in the same league as him, it’s impressive.

San Diego Padres rookie Jackson Merrill enters the scene.

Merrill hit a three-run home run against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday. It was Merrill’s 22nd home run of the year. According to StatsCentre, the home run tied Merrill and Griffey Jr. for the fifth most home runs in a season by a center fielder age 21 or younger.

Since his debut on March 20, Merrill has become one of the best rookies in the league.

Merrill is hitting .294 this season with 22 home runs, 84 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases. He also boasts an .828 OPS.

Merrill helped the Padres finish first in the National League Wild Card standings. His caliber of play helped make the NL Rookie of the Year race a two-man affair: he and Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes.

Seattle will always have the Griffey Jr. years to remember fondly. And it looks like Merrill is putting together the first of many memorable years for San Diego fans.

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