Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres is second to only Manny Machado on the franchise list for all-time homers.
This hasn’t been a strong power year for outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. but he has made a big move when it comes to hitting homers for the San Diego Padres, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. Tatis only has a dozen so far this season, but the solo shot he hit last night in the Padres’ 11-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers vaulted him over former first baseman Nate Colbert to sole possession of second place in home runs all-time for the franchise behind third baseman Manny Machado.
“It’s definitely special,” Tatis said Sunday night after tying the record. “It’s so rewarding. This game is so tough. So many ups and downs. But being able to perform in front of this beautiful city, it’s what you dream of as a kid.”
The home run was the 164th of Tatis’ career, which Machado has 217. They both started in San Diego back in 2019, when the Padres signed Machado and Tatis was a rookie climbing up the ranks to MLB.
They’ve become the cornerstones, and manager Craig Stammen has been with the team long enough to watch them evolve into their respective roles.
“Those guys have carried this franchise for a long time,” said Craig Stammen -- once their teammate, now their manager. “Where there was 25,000 fans showing up a night, now there’s 40,000 fans every night. Those two guys are a big part of that.”
What’s especially interesting about all this is the way their paths have diverged. Tatis has morphed into a full-service leadoff man this year, and he’s also played some at second base, while Machado has maintained a standard of excellence that will get him in the Hall of Fame someday.
“That’s pretty awesome,” Tatis said of sitting 1-2 with Machado. “That’s why we came here. That’s why he came here, with that first deal he got, the 10 years. And me also, signing for those 14 years. That’s what we expect to be doing.”
There’s still work to do, however. The Padres are currently tied for the third wild card spot with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Arizona Diamondbacks, with all three teams having a record of 64-57 right now. It’s not where the Padres were hoping to be at this point in the season, but they’re starting to get hot at the right time.
“No special secret,” said Tatis when he talked about the team’s current position and the lineup as a whole. “We know what talent in here we are. We have cleaned it up as a team, as an offense. … Everything is coming together at the right time. We better keep it that way.”
