Fernando Tatis Jr. is no longer just the Padres’ most electric showman. He’s the system. When a ball leaves a barrel and starts screaming toward the right-field corner or the top of the Petco wall, there’s a split second where 40,000 people do the same math: Is 23 anywhere near it? More often than not, the answer in 2025 was “yes,” followed by a familiar scene — Tatis detonating a route, stealing extra bases from stunned hitters, and turning would-be damage into another quiet jog back to the dugout. For a franchise that has bet big on star power, his glove has become the safest wager in the building.
Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. crowned NL’s top defender again in 2025
