If I asked you who Fernando Tatis Jr. was, five years ago, you might have said, “the son of a former big leaguer” or “a prospect in the Padres organization”. If you ask the same question today, they will tell you he is the newest face of baseball. Many players have dawned the crown before him. Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, and Kris Bryant are the three that come to mind. Now, Tatis has stepped in as part of a new wave incredibly talented young players—and he’s doing it his way.
Son of a Big Leaguer
Fernando Tatis Sr. was a big leaguer for quite a while. He played with Mark McGuire on the Cardinals so it’s not like he was the standout at that time. He did have one record though that has never been matched: two grand slams in one inning. The odds of hitting one grand slam across all big leaguers is something like 1/1,400 plate appearances. The odds of doing it twice in the same inning is astronomically higher.
That kind of shadow cast by a father can be pretty large. Especially when you are the oldest son with extremely high expectations. But it was never about the competition with his father, because his father always gave him support. Tatis Jr. remembers his dad constantly reminding him that, if he worked hard, he could be so much better! That kind of support and backing from someone you look up to can change the path of an athlete’s life!
Playing MY game
“When I’m playing the game—I’m playing MY game. So why not have fun and just have a great time with my teammates?”
Fernando Tatis Jr.
Tatis Jr. has always bounced around the field with a smile on his face. In the dugout you can see him dancing, high fiving, laughing, and having a blast. In a game that can see so many ups and downs, it is easy to get caught in the trap: another road trip to another city, against another team, another day. But that attitude breeds mediocrity.
Tatis Jr. is able to maintain that good attitude even when the going gets tough which only adds to his consistency. In 2018 in the minor leagues with the Padres, he hit .177 for the month of April. He remembers his hitting coach was pretty panicked. Tatis Jr. tapped his coach on the shoulder and said, “remember, we can’t go any lower from here. Now we just gotta make it to the top!” That kind of relaxed, feel-good attitude about the game of baseball is huge for players to reach their full potential!
Advice from Dad
In 2019, Tatis Jr. made it on the Padres’ Opening Day roster. He was finally going to get a chance to leave his mark on the game like his father. He called his mom to let her know they all needed get plane tickets to come out. Before hanging up, his dad hopped on the line to give him one last piece of advice. “To stay at this level, you have to prove that you belong here. So, in your mind, you have to prove to yourself, and to the fans and to baseball, that you belong here”.
Tatis Jr. took that to heart. He drilled a ball through the six-hole for a knock in his first big league plate appearance. He hit a home run within the first week of the season. He finished his first year hitting .317 with 22 HRs… Most recently he signed a 14-year, $340 million contract extension to be the face of the Padres for the next decade. A lot of that is thanks to dad.
The new wave of baseball is here. Extremely athletic, talented, young players have begun to take over. Tatis Jr. will lead the way with the support of his dad, his infectious attitude, and the mindset of a champion. Baseball is in a good place with that kind of player as a role model for the next generation.
