San Diego Padres right-fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. has been hitting for power, and the Padres have been winning.
The power outage of Fernando Tatis Jr. is officially over, which was obvious who’s been watching Tatis and the San Diego Padres for the last week or so. His latest home-run barrage happened yesterday against the Minnesota Twins, as he hit a home run early to help keep the Padres in the game, then another one later as the Padres romped in an 8-1 win.
AJ Cassavell of MLB.com asked the natural question about how this all happened, given that it literally took months for Tatis to hit his first home run of the season.
“Three months of struggling,” Tatis said after the series finale.
Tatis kept the Twins struggling and back on their heels yesterday, as he got four hits for the day, with all of them having an exit velocity of at least 105 mph. Tatis is now tied with Chicago Cubs outfileder Pete Crow-Armstrong for the major league lead in home runs since the All-Star break with 12, and he’s become the ultimate definition of a tough out.
There have been some specific adjustments, of course. Tatis has opened up his stance, and he’s lifting the ball and pulling it more than he did in the first half of the season. Tatis is also attacking the strike zone without chasing, which means pitchers will inevitably make mistakes that he’s been hammering.
“Right mechanics, right approach at the right time,” Tatis said. “It made me know myself better. To even put a bigger trust in myself and the ability that I have -- and building from there.”
For manager Craig Stammen, it’s been about watching Tatis’ comfort level grow. Tatis was clearly fighting himself for the first two months of the season, and he’s slowly grown out of that.
“He feels good in the box with his swing,” said manager Craig Stammen. “He feels good with what the hitting coaches’ game plan is giving him. … I think it’s freed Fernando up just to go be a baseball player, and use his natural talent to the best of his abilities.”
Tatis has also grown more comfortable in the role of a classic leadoff man before his power surge started. He seemed content to get a hit or two on most nights, and to energize the Padres with his speed, base running and overall baseball savvy.
The impact of all that wasn’t lost on Minnesota manager Derke Shelton, who commented on Tatis after the series sweep.
“He shows you, when he's healthy, why he's one of the best players in the game,” said Twins manager Derek Shelton. “Because there's not much he can't do. Going back to the catch last night, going to the two homers today -- he just changes the game in such an impactful way for them.”
