Fernando Tatis Jr. cracks the elite Top 25 list, but who else is missing from San Diego's star-studded roster?
The San Diego Padres have rostered some of baseball’s best talents since the start of the decade, and that remains true with fewer than two weeks before 2026 Opening Day. Despite multiple stars on the roster, only one found themselves in Bleacher Report’s rankings of the top 25 players in the MLB.
The one player to represent San Diego is outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. at the No. 17 spot. Since bursting onto the scene in 2019, Tatis Jr. has been the face of the Padres’ franchise. Other stars have played in San Diego, but Tatis Jr. has created belief and excitement like no other player.
He was no different in 2025, recording the second-highest WAR of his career at 5.9 – the most on the Friars by a wide margin. Tatis Jr. also played a career-high game with 155, an encouraging statistic after missing a large chunk of the prior campaign.
Tatis Jr., 27, finished last season with a slash line of .268/.368/.446 with an .814 OPS. His 25 home runs, 71 RBIs, career-high 32 steals, and great defense helped earn him the third All-Star selection of his career. He was also rewarded with a Gold Glove award and votes for the MVP.
Still in his late 20’s and entering his prime, another dominant season should be on the way for the Padres’ superstar. He’s already gotten off to a great start in 2026 in the World Baseball Classic with the Dominican Republic.
In his six games playing for his country, Tatis Jr. logged eight hits, two home runs, 11 RBIs, and a slash line of .400/.538/.700 with a ridiculous 1.238 OPS. Though his run with his country ended prematurely on Sunday night in the semifinals against the United States, Tatis Jr. gave Padres fans a lot of reasons to be excited for Opening Day.
It was a bit surprising to see Tatis Jr. as the only Padres’ representation in the ranking, but third baseman Manny Machado was listed as a “just missed” player. Machado was the Padres’ second-most valuable player in 2025, posting 4.1 WAR in 159 games.
Tatis Jr. and Machado are the heartbeats of San Diego, but several other players will be huge in the Padres’ postseason chase this season. Starting pitchers Nick Pivetta, Michael King, outfielder Jackson Merrill, and closing pitcher Mason Miller (who has been nothing short of perfect since joining the Padres) will be pivotal as the Padres chase 90 wins once again. In the meantime, Tatis Jr. will again be the leader of the Padres in 2026.