Padres Have Made a Big Fernando Tatis Jr. Mistake

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Charlie O'Keefe | Last updated Mar 3, 2026 7:13 PM ET

The San Diego Padres are gearing up for another competitive season with a largely untouched offensive core, led once again by right-fielder Fernando Tatis Jr.

But if spring training lineups are any indication, the Padres are considering making a change in the form of dropping Tatis down from their leadoff spot this season.

Coming off of an early wild card series exit in the 2025 playoffs, the Padres made the decision to hire first-time manager Craig Stammen with hopes of shaking things up a bit.

So far in spring training, he has penciled shortstop Xander Bogaerts' name in the leadoff spot more often than any other player with Tatis Jr. perched in the third or fourth spot in the order (h/t Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune).

Padres notebook: Different looks for Jake Cronenworth; Joe Musgrove to face Brits; Matt Waldron updatehttps://t.co/hWzOEE8r9Q
— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) March 2, 2026

The Padres' uncertainty at leadoff seems like it could be an ongoing exploration for Stammen, who said, "Leadoff is the one spot we’re just not quite sure of who’s going to be in that spot in the lineup" (h/t Kevin Acee). But at the very least, it seems that Tatis cannot be considered a lock to sit atop the lineup on Opening Day.

This could prove to be an act of overthinking on behalf of the Padres, who no doubt want to supplement the middle of their lineup with Tatis' bat where they lack power.

Because while the idea makes sense on paper, the 27-year-old right fielder excelled out of the leadoff spot in the 2025 season, putting up his best performance since 2021.

In a career-high 155 games played in 2025, Tatis appeared as the leadoff hitter in 151 of them, where he slugged 25 home runs and posted a formidable 125 OPS+.

Given the tumultuous nature of Tatis' past few seasons, it seems ill-advised to mess with what has clearly a winning recipe for the face of the franchise.

San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatís Jr. (23)© Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Tatis skyrocketed onto the scene in 2019, announcing his presence with 4 bWAR and a 154 OPS+ in just 84 games in his rookie season. He remained an electric force in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and put up his best season to-date in 2021 despite multiple shoulder dislocations.

But in the two seasons following 2022, in which he missed the entire season due to injuries and a PED suspension, Tatís Jr. saw his bat lag behind in 2023 (110 OPS+) and struggled to stay on the field in 2024 (102 games played).

2025 was a much-needed success for the Padres star as he solidified his place as the leadoff hitter, so considering everything that Tatis' success means to the team it seems risky to move him out of that spot.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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