Padres' Jackson Merrill earns $5 million raise for very simple reason originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The San Diego Padres have stormed back into postseason contention recently following the MLB trade deadline, and there are plenty of reasons why they've turned things around.One of the big reasons why is Jackson Merrill, who has been great in August, hitting .321 with a 1.004 OPS in 58 plate appearances in 14 games. But Merrill isn't just playing well; he also reached a goal for a nice pay raise.As USA Today's Bob Nightengale notes, Merril, by reaching 500 plate appearances this season, earned a $5 million raise on his $135 million deal.Jackson Merrill earns $5M raise from Padres for simple reason"San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill made himself a cool $5 million by reaching his 500th plate appearance on Friday, which adds $1 million to the next five years of his contract," Nightengale reports.Merrill's nine-year contract extension with the Padres is now for $140 million instead of $135 million after this milestone was reached.In Merrill's contract, he'd earn a pay raise for reaching this threshold, and since he did so this season, he's earned an extra $1 million per year across the next five seasons, according to Nightengale.MORE:Dodgers prospect Kendall George to undergo knee surgery months after viral bat dog incidentThe 23-year-old outfielder is worth it, even though his .710 OPS this season is the worst of his career so far. Considering his production lately, Merrill is clearly better than those season-long numbers suggest.He's under club control through the 2035 season, and now adds a bit more money to his already fairly large contract.While $5 million isn't a lot compared to the $ 140M-plus deal he signed, it's still a nice reward for Merrill's health this season as he tries to help the Padres make the postseason in his third year in the big leagues.More MLB news:Phillies receive slightly worrying 65% playoff odds projection from ESPNRed Sox get 8.2% chance to win World Series, which is more than Yankees oddsDave Dombrowski reveals why Phillies didn't trade for a righty-hitting outfielderBrewers toyed with idea of trading for Padres closer Mason MillerYankees dabbled in trade talks for Tarik Skubal despite not willing to deal George Lombard Jr.