Jul 24, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) is congratulated by center fielder Jackson Merrill (3) after scoring against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Padres' Mike Shildt Thinks Fernando Tatis, Jackson Merrill Are Best Duo in MLB

Originally posted on San Diego Padres on SI
By Aaron Coloma | Last updated Sep 15, 2025 7:00 PM ET

San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt believes All-Star outfielders Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill are the best duo in the league.

Shildt believes the All-Stars' complementing skillsets make them an elite force in the outfield. Tatis and Merrill both had a fantastic showing in Sunday's series finale against the Colorado Rockies, each recording multi-hit games.

Tatis went 3-for-4 with a walk and three runs in the leadoff spot, and Merrill went 2-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs as the Padres' No. 2 hitter.

“Those two guys … and I am biased when I say this, but from a skillset, when you think about competition and how you beat the other team, the skillset between ‘Tati’ and Jackson is as good a duo that I believe there is in the game, because they can do it all, and it was on display today,” said Shildt.

Netiher player has quite played to their full potential this season, however they aren't having bad seasons by any means.

Merrill's production have slowed down since his All-Star and Silver Slugger rookie campaign, however still has 13 home runs and 60 RBIs with an OPS of .753. He has been much better in September, and has finally rediscovered some power towards the latter half of the season despite his batting average remaining constant.

Tatis made his second-consecutive All-Star game in 2025, and currently has a .805 OPS through 146 games. His 22 home runs are the second most on the team behind Manny Machado, and his 102 runs lead the Friars. The Padres are still waiting for Tatis to return to his pre-2022 form, however they won't complain about this level of production.

The Padres are still in the race for the NL West title, however they haven't gotten any closer to the Dodgers than they were before their series against the Rockies. The Padres will need to pull some results out against the Mets if they are to have any chance of winning the division. If not, they will need to settle for their spot in the Wild Card, which they have just about locked up with 12 games left.

They begin their series against the Mets at 4:10 p.m. PT on Tuesday.