As the final out was made in left field, San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. flipped his hat to the back, raised his arms, and waved goodbye to the adoring fans in the right field bleachers before sprinting full speed to celebrate the 5-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians with his fellow outfielders. The superstar had put on a show, and very well may have played the best game of his young career to date, flaunting his five-tool ability.
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Fernando Tatis Jr.’s Five-Tool Night
The Five Tools
Premier power, contact, speed, fielding, and arm strength. A baseball scout’s dream is the prestigious but elusive five-tool prospect, laden with talent in five areas of the sport that can impact the outcome of a game alone. Around ten or so years ago, you could probably count on your hands the number of five-tool superstars in MLB. In today’s league, it feels like each team has its own, or has one in the minors on the brink of breaking out. Despite the influx of five-tool players thriving, Tatis Jr. is objectively as good as any of them in 2023.
A Dominant Performance
Entering Wednesday’s match-up against the Guardians, Tatis was already swinging a hot bat, OPS-ing 1.256 with four home runs in the first 11 games of June. He led off the bottom half of the first inning, spitting on Aaron Civale’s first four offerings before lifting a 94 MPH sinker in off the plate, over the outstretched glove of Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan for a home run. The 364-foot wall-scraper gave him his 11th career leadoff homer, breaking the franchise record of Will Venable’s respective 10.
Into a sea of San Diegans 💣
Vote Tatis ⭐️ https://t.co/gyd80CEbUT pic.twitter.com/2tHS0hCIds
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 15, 2023
Tatis got Civale again in the fourth, lacing a hanging cutter down the left-field line for a double. In the top fifth, he ended the top half by robbing Myles Straw of a base hit with a feet-first sliding catch. A welcome sight for skeptics who questioned if the former shortstop had the means to hold his own in RF. In fact, Tatis has obliterated expectations at his new position in 2023, sporting the highest OAA of any right fielder in MLB with 5, per Baseball Savant.
Late Game Heroics
After hitting his league-best 8th double of the month in the sixth, he stole third base on Juan Soto’s 1-0 count. On the very next pitch, Tatis scampered home after a ball in the dirt kicked away from catcher Mike Zunino to make it 3-0. He essentially manufactured a run by himself with his 97th-percentile sprint speed.
To cap off his five-tool-cycle, Tatis showed off the arm. Cleveland’s Amed Rosario took a fastball down the right field line falling fair to begin the ninth. Tatis collected the ball, shifted his hips towards second, but fired for first. The heat-seeking one bouncer from the corner caught Rosario off-guard and beat him back to first base on the retreat. When the out was confirmed via replay review, Tatis bowed for the sold-out hometown crowd.
This no-look throw by Tatis 🤯 pic.twitter.com/OQTGjcMrZ3
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) June 15, 2023
Tatis’s numbers on June 14 read as one HR, three XBHs, two runs, two SB, one BB, and an outfield assist. A stat line that no one has equaled in the modern era of baseball. Even the great Mike Trout and uber-talented Mookie Betts, each blessed with an innate talent to impact all facets of the game themselves, don’t boast the kind of night the 24-year-old phenom showcased. Tatis’s feat perfectly encapsulated his ability to do whatever he wants to on a baseball field. Taking a glance at his box score that night, it’s evident he represents a highly-coveted, five-tool superstar that Padres brass and fans alike have deeply embraced since his arrival to the majors in 2019.
When Will it Click?
Prior to his June surge, Tatis was not producing at his accustomed level. Perhaps it was imminent, considering the 18 months he missed before his April 20 return this year.
And a healthy Tatis Jr. back in peak form is exactly what the Padres need. Due to the majority of their starting lineup not pulling their weight, they currently sit in fourth place in their division. With the All-Star break around the corner, the Padres are running thin on time to live up to their rightfully lofty expectations.
“If we can bring it together, there are no limits for us,” Tatis responded to 97.3 The Fan reporter Sam Levitt when asked about the lineup’s potential after the game.
But talk is cheap, and fans have heard this same sentiment from plenty of Padres all season long. “We have players that can carry the team by themselves,” commented veteran Nelson Cruz alluding to Tatis’s performance.
A bold proclamation from the 42-year-old slugger. But if there’s a player who can, it’s Fernando Tatis Jr.
Photo credits:
Ray Acevedo-USA TODAY Sports
Players mentioned:
Fernando Tatis Jr., Aaron Civale, Steven Kwan, Will Venable, Myles Straw, Juan Soto, Mike Zunino, Amed Rosario, Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Nelson Cruz
