Right out of the chute, there was a Gary Sheffield moment from young Fernando Tatis Jr. when the rookie buggy-whipped a hot fastball that was high and tight, back in early April.
“Sheff” terrified Padres opponents while mounting a strong push for the Triple Crown. At 23 back then, in 1992, he was three years older than Tatis. So, if you land in the same sentence with that Sheffield, it’s high praise.
Now, it’s a former Pads middle infielder whom Tatis is bringing to mind. Roberto Alomar struggled with the bat as a rookie in 1988 before finding his groove later that season.