In the eyes of San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr., he’s the best player in Major League Baseball.
Padres: Fernando Tatis Jr. sees no peers in the MLB
According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Tribune, Tatis Jr. had this to say about his ranking in the MLB (h/t San Diego Padres on SI’s Maren Angus-Coombs):
“All the respect to all the big-league talent that is out there,” Tatis said. “I definitely acknowledge them. But when I’m 100% and my head is in the right spot, I feel like I’m second to no one in the baseball field.
“But definitely knowing what the work takes to be there. And especially the competition that is out there. And definitely embracing (it), because players are so good right now in this time of the baseball era, it only makes you want to be better and get better. So I’m definitely in that role and looking forward to being the best version of myself out there.”
Tatis Jr. could back up his talk in 2025 for Padres
While many would beg to differ with Tatis Jr.’s take in favor of reigning MVPs Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge, as well as quite a few other talents across the big leagues, the two-time All-Star is in the upper echelon of players.
Though he’s only played north of 130 games once in five active campaigns, the 26-year-old could ascend among the game’s best should he meet his 162-game averages while leading San Diego to a World Series crown in 2025. They include 115 runs, 40 home runs, 101 RBIs and 29 stolen bases with a .279 batting average.
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Tatis Jr. has already eclipsed 40 home runs with 42 in 2021. He also stole 29 bases in 2023. He could become the 48th player in MLB history to join the prestigious 30-30 club as a result of such output. Games played will be the largest determinant in how gaudy his stat line turns out. As for winning, the Padres lost a couple of star contributors in the offseason but rounded out their roster with quality veteran additions.
Tatis Jr., along with Manny Machado, as well as Michael King and Dylan Cease on the mound, will be responsible for leading them to a Fall Classic crown. Tatis Jr. would need to be the main catalyst of that run to eclipse his own teammate in Machado, as well as the aforementioned greats to start being viewed in the light that he sees himself in.
