Three players on the San Diego Padres saw their first action in an MLB game Wednesday as the season got underway in Korea for the Seoul Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Padres fell to the Dodgers 5-2 after an 8th-inning rally by Los Angeles that allowed them to score four runs late in the game.
Three Padres players made their MLB Debut in the season opener: Jackson Merrill, Yuki Matsui, and Graham Pauley.
Jackson Merrill
A shortstop by trade, Merrill was named the Padres 2024 Opening Day Center Fielder.
Merrill, only 20 years old, Was the Padres 1st round draft pick in 2021. He played in High-A and Double-A in 2023. The move to the outfield was a bold decision as Merrill only played 5 games in the minors there, all in left field. Wednesday’s start in Center was the first in his professional career at any level.
In his debut, Merrill went 0-3 with a couple of impressive deep fly balls. One of his outs was recorded at an exit velocity of over 105 mph. He also played well defensively.
The upside for Merrill, who is currently the number 12 prospect (according to MLB Pipeline) is high, and it will be a delight to watch him this season.
Yuki Matsui
Not a true rookie to professional baseball like the other two on this list, but new to MLB. Matsui, who pitched at an elite level in the NPB League in Japan. In 10 seasons with the pros in Japan, Matsui posted a 2.40 ERA while playing for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.
On Wednesday, Matsui entered the game in the top of the 6th inning and faced three batters. He walked the first batter he faced, Dodgers outfielder James Outman which also featured a pitch clock violation. He turned it right around, however, as he recorded his first MLB strikeout against Kiké Hernández. He ended his first outing with a flyball out.
Graham Pauley
Pauley got a little skipper love for his MLB Debut from Padres manager Mike Shildt. The 23-year-old received a pinch-hit in the bottom of the 9th inning Wednesday to get his feet wet in the big leagues. He was struck out by the Dodgers’ Evan Phillips.
Graham Pauley was a 13th-round selection by the Padres in the 2022 MLB Draft. Last season, he saw three levels of baseball from Low-A through Double-A.
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To keep track of all MLB Debuts in 2024, check out our brand-new Debut Tracker here.
The Padres will look to avoid the early season sweep as the short Seoul Series will come to an end Thursday morning. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 AM EST.
Diamond Dingers 
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