ESPN's David Schoenfield does not believe San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. will make the 2025 All-Star Game as a starter.
The article lists outfielders Pete Crow-Armstrong and Corbin Carroll as non-negotiable starters for the National League in the Midsummer Classic, and says the final spot is between James wood, Kyle Tucker and Tatis. Schoenfield believes Wood to be the choice.
"The sophomore sensation (James Wood) is hitting .270/.366/.533 with 16 home runs, getting the ball in the air more often than last season (although with much more growth potential in that area) and displaying elite numbers all over his Baseball Savant page," Schoenfield wrote. "Physically, the 22-year-old resemblesAaron Judge-- and it's perhaps a little premature to point this out, but Judge hit .308/.419/.486 at age 22 ... in High-A."
All of Schoenfield's NL outfield selections lead the others in at least one statistic except for Tatis. He places third in wins above replacement and stolen bases, though Tucker has more of both, and Crow-Armstrong leads all five selections in those categories comfortably.
Tatis has had an up-and-down season up to this point, including the worst month of baseball he's ever had in May. The two-time All-Star batted .184 in 103 at-bats and posted a .626 OPS through the month, though he still hit five home runs.
Tatis is still in All-Star contention despite his down month, however, as his hot start to the season averaged his numbers out. He has a .260/.337/.459 slash line this season, and has a team-leading 13 home runs in 2025 with a 121 OPS+.
Though his numbers aren't as impressive as the other four suggestions, Tatis has shown time and time again that he is capable of heating up when his team needs it most. Tatis batted .423 with four home runs in the 2024 postseason, and put a struggling Padres offense on his back until their NLDS loss. In April of this season, Tatis batted .323 with seven home runs as well.
The Padres will hope Tatis returns to form soon, as they are in the midst of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and play them again in a four-game series next week.
For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.
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