Can Jackson Merrill lead the Padres to a World Series?

so Bryce appreciate you hopping on let's start with San Diego State then we can get to the Padre's what are your initial takeaways week one a victory for the Aztecs 42 second half points uh what were your what was your primary takeaway after Saturday night and thanks for hopping on well I think there was the halftime takeaway and the the final score takeaway um everybody knows that Texas A&M Commerce is not within a 100 galaxies Texas A&M and they were one and n a season ago but in the second half the Aztecs did what you're supposed to do to to a team like that put up 45 points uh you know in the win um so it it it had to be a little concerning early but uh what once but there's also the factor I mean as you kind of stir that all together you got to think this is a brand new coach with not only a brand new system but a completely unorthodox system compared to most teams in college football so you give them a half if not a game to kind of figure that out work out the Kinks and uh maybe if your glass is half full in that direction you think they're ahead of schedule with that second half that they put together um but yeah you did see me talking to Marquez Cooper um got a story that a column that'll run tomorrow about he's just a fascinating story he's he's a young dad um he's lost a lot of people in his life along the way that motivate him uh he's very aware of what Ashton jenty did for Boise State last week he's confident but he kind of does it with a wink and a smile uh all that boiled together make him a pretty fascinating running back and now coming to San Diego State where he's gonna get the chance to play Oregon State this week you know play play on a little bit bigger stage than he was at at Ball State um he I think he understands that more of the country will be able to see what he can do if he can do it yeah can't wait to read that that story from you coming up here uh tomorrow um moving over to the quarterback your impressions Danny O'Neal true freshman looked great in the second half what was your eye test show you from Danny O'Neal well it's almost the same thing right you're talking about a firsttime guy a young guy giving the ball immediately uh essentially out of high school um for him to adjusted in the exact same ways we just talked about uh between early in the game and later in the game um I think some of that collectively with Cooper and O'Neal both I I just think they physically wore down amm Commerce which they should uh the differences in program size and and resources and ability to recruit there uh you know a lot of reasons but uh you know I I would say it's a a pretty solid pass in grade for him not no pun intended but uh you know what he did as that game progressed and and I got it I got to think that Sean Lewis is pretty happy about what he saw from the beginning of that game to the end of that game Bryce Miller with us right now columnist for the Union Tribune JN and Jim San Diego Sports 760 switching over to the Padre's off today back in Action tomorrow one of the hotter teams in baseball in the second half of the season of course they've gotten healthier as well would any surprise you from here on out not to say that it's some guarantee they make a deep run but they're fully capable based on what we've seen play out here right well you know if this is a stock market question I'm I'm bullish on the Padre's right now I mean since the allstar break you know they came out flying and then you know I don't know how to compare it they they kind of slid into this mode like fog hat you know Slow Ride Win It win enough Series win win almost series uh continue to you know be in every game show the ability to come back and then the thing that I think is the rest of baseball the national league may be aware the National League West probably is aware but the rest of baseball they have to be considered one of the scariest teams heading into the postseason right now because of what's happened very recently you get Fernando ta stat uh Joe musk not only comes back but is throwing incredibly well which there was no guarantee of that now we find out you darish is bad nobody gets those three caliber names as re reinforcements this late in the season not you know essentially all at once uh but kind of and uh this team that's playing so well together just got better and uh so yeah it's hard not to feel good about their chances heading into the postseason the example I gave somebody the other day is or maybe was yesterday I can't remember when it was announced that Jose a zokar um B basically was DFA but the uh we're not what a couple years away from they wouldn't have done that he would have been playing it the SW so they're deep enough now that they have the ability to make a decision like that with a pretty fast talented raw guy that's maybe end your bench but still he's a major league type player in a conversation by Mo team so one of those things that for a lot of reasons you got to feel good about the direction they're going in if you're a padre fan yeah I we've had a lot of discussions with you Bryce about AJ PR um but this year it feels like has been I mean easily his best season and I would you know what do you think about his year so far with all of the moves that he has made for this team uh leading up to the stretch run here yeah I don't think there's any doubt it's just season and he's and this is a guy in context that baseball talks about is the guy who makes move after move after move so he's not he's never ever been close to being in an active gym he's made you know broad Strokes small moves went after big names lands Manny Machado when nobody thought it was possible um even go back to the mat km you know that series of Trades when he first got here pickups and uh so he's made a bunch of big swings but it seems like almost every Button he's pushed has been right and it's not just it's not just Dylan CE and Luis Arise at this point you you know where would they be if they didn't have the quality starts that Michael King has given them from that deal um how does this team get sizeably better by cutting $90 million in payroll and getting rid of Juan soda uh that that math doesn't compute or it shouldn't but that's a that's kind of a testament I and the other thing I've told people is if you're gonna criticize the guy and I've criticized him constantly over my time since he's been here uh for moves and decisions and more or less the club's inability to consistently play for the postseason you've also got to give them credit when they have a season like this no doubt about it Bryce Miller with us right now columnist for the Union Tribune John and Jim San Diego Sports 760 do you have expectations for Fernando tatis Jr right now like no rehab comes back everyone wants to see him you know healthy and impacting this team in October but I mean what are your thoughts on tatis and missing all that time and then just being thrust right back into it I I didn't have immediate expectations I mean it's not a Disney movie he's probably not going to walk back after all that time and you know hit two home runs including the gamewinner in his first night I mean I mean he could he has that ability obviously but it's not very realistic and I think he probably whether he would say it or not feels just a small amount of pressure that this team was really good without I mean almost historically good you know and was historically good in the run that they made after the allstar break and he's like this team has shown it Quinn without me I don't want to be the guy who messes with chemistry I don't want to be the guy now now I don't think he would and I don't think that would be the case but you know some of the spots have to go through his head that uh when they were when he was gone they did not collapse you're talking about the reigning Platinum uh Glove winner you know in right field you're talking about a guy with the kind of power who can change the game if he's fat uh he's got you know arguably the best defensive arm athletically he he's he's in a class of very few um so I think the smartest thing is if he just kind of eases back in let it come come naturally not push too hard too soon uh my expectations you know would be he's really you know impactful by October what Jackson Merill has done this season I think has far exceeded everyone's expectations would you consider him to be I mean the Team MVP I mean what he he's putting together Bri the best rookie season in the history of the franchise and I don't think it's even in question I don't think there's any doub thep and that's saying something on a team where you could point to a lot of guys who've done a lot of I Dylan C through a no hitter uh he had a stretch of incredible starts um Lis arise is I'm not sure if this is still true but it's got to be close what one of two guys in the league hitting over 300 in the National League I don't know um you know just start ticking off boxes there are a lot of reasons they're in this place but not just because of what he's done statistically I think he woke this team up I think last year when things started to slide they didn't exactly have an energy guy like that they didn't have a guy where it was contagious they didn't you see him bouncing around and smiling and playing playing the game like a kid it reminds you of one tatis SC into the league and what that meant to that team he's brought that now and when you got when you have guys like Manny Machado saying he's put us on his shoulders those are big words from from a guy like Machado and yeah I don't think there's any doubt e the MVP price love the perspective great to see yesterday on the Mesa San Diego State getting ready for Oregon State this weekend the Padre's getting ready for the Tigers game two of a three- game series tomorrow night down at pedco Park thanks for hopping on we'll do it again soon thanks Bryce thanks Bryce yeah we'll talk soon again