Craig Stammen stands in the dugout, arms folded, watching the final out.
First managerial win in the books.
10-3 over the Royals.
A convincing start on the road.
The Padres lineup clicked early, and the bullpen held firm.
But spring wins fade fast.
The real pulse beats in Peoria.
Where Jackson Merrill moves with purpose.
No Team USA call this time.
No public complaint.
Just a measured response: “I’ll get there someday.”
Then he turns back to work.
Extra reps.
Early cages.
Conversations with veterans.
The third-year star isn’t sulking.
He’s building.
Leadership isn’t handed out in invites.
It’s earned in quiet mornings when no cameras roll.
Merrill knows the Padres need more than talent.
They need voice.
Presence.
Someone who can steady the room when stars depart for WBC.
The organization feels prepared this time.
Better depth.
Better planning.
But Merrill’s choice to lean in — to treat Peoria like his proving ground — carries weight.
Jose Miranda surges too, pushing for bench utility with hot early at-bats.
Catchers master the new ABS challenges, three for three already.
Yuki Matsui progresses in recovery.
Nick Castellanos experiments at first base.
Yet Merrill stands apart.
Not the loudest.
Not the flashiest.
But the most deliberate.
Stammen’s win is nice.
Sunday against the Dodgers will test more.
But the bigger test unfolds daily in Arizona.
Where a young outfielder quietly claims space.
Where absence from one stage becomes opportunity on another.
The clubhouse watches.
The front office notices.
And somewhere in the rhythm of drills and conversations, one question settles in the dry air.
When the bright lights return and the absences hit, will Jackson Merrill be ready to lead — or will he still be waiting for someone else to show him how?
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