Fernando Tatis Jr.'s turnaround has placed Padres in strong postseason position

San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fernando Tatis Jr.'s turnaround has placed Padres in strong postseason position

By Vanessa Serrao | Last updated Sep 21, 2026 2:55 PM ET

Fernando Tatis Jr. has made a noteworthy turnaround in his power production following a surprising home-run drought across the first 55 games of the season due to his closed batting stance.

But by reopening his stance, he has rediscovered his raw power, which has helped drive the San Diego Padres' climb in the NL wild-card standings. His unlocked resurgence has helped fuel the Padres' recent success, as they are currently tied with the Chicago Cubs for a top NL wild-card spot.

Tatis Jr. crushed his 25th home run of the season on Sunday, which helped power the team to a 7-3 victory against the Miami Marlins. To go from hitting his first home run on May 30 to a 25-home-run season is a miraculous jump, and he still has six more games to inch closer to 30.

He has hit eight home runs in September and has also reached the 80-RBI mark. Overall, he's completely flipped the switch and has put his early-season struggles behind him.

Fernando Tatís Jr. is up to 25 HR this season after not having any in the first third of the season.

This has been a phenomenal last four months for Tatís, showing that he can still be a top-10 dynasty asset.pic.twitter.com/tSVBJ27Pdx
— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) September 21, 2026

Fernando Tatis Jr. has bounced back from his early-season struggles

The three-time All-Star has also boosted his season-long OPS to .823, ranking third among all right-fielders, and his .285 batting average ranks second.

His performance across the last four months has supplied the team with 44 multi-hit games, and in his last 15 games, he has hit .317 with 15 home runs.

The 27-year-old's strong impact also provided a hot on-base streak in September, where he has safely reached base across 14 consecutive games with seven home runs during that stretch. His 36 stolen bases also rank him in the top 10 among stolen base leaders this season.

Vanessa Serrao

Serrao is a freelance baseball writer who has covered all MLB teams, with particular expertise on the Toronto Blue Jays. She is a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.

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