The San Diego Padres’ offense is still trying to find some consistency before heading into the All-Star break next weekend. The current production numbers are not constant for a deep postseason run. But that scenario could change if Fernando Tatis Jr. returns to his former MVP form.
June is not Tatis Jr.’s favorite month
The month of June was not his best at the plate. Tatis Jr. batted .232 with two HRs and 10 RBIs in 95 at-bats. His OPS dropped from the season average of .788 to .718 for June.
His exit velocity (92.9 MPH) is still elite, as Tatis Jr.’s swing might be late on some pitches, but he can still get the barrel of the bat on the ball. Rarely does Tatis Jr. wilt against high-velocity pitchers. It does not matter about the swing-and-misses, as he needs one pitch to start a scoring rally.
How to know when he is right at the plate
It should not take long for Tatis Jr. to rediscover himself in the batter’s box. Everyone should be encouraged that he is hitting the ball extremely hard all season. Tatis Jr.’s hard-hit rate is currently 50.0%, which is much higher than the league average (39.4%). However, it is not close to his career-best mark of 62.2% in 2020.
A concerning area is Tatis Jr.’s line drive rate (19.6%), which is lower than his career rate (22.4%). The surprisingly low number might be due to the increase in his ground ball rate (50.6%) this season. It is his telltale sign when he is slumping at the plate, as Tatis Jr. will pull a pitch on the ground to the third baseman or shortstop.
The good news is Tatis Jr. rarely pulls the ball. His current pull rate is 22.6%, which is the lowest in his major league career. Typically, he does his damage by hitting the ball up the middle (60.0%).
Despite his struggles with the bat, Tatis Jr. is still punishing the baseball. When he is hitting, Tatis Jr. is driving the ball to the left-field gap with some power.
A good, solid week at the plate has helped to quickly re-establish him as one of the game’s elite hitters. Tatis Jr. has gotten off to a good start in July, as he is batting .315 (6-19) with four runs scored and two runs batted in. Hopefully, his uptick in production will ease the Friar Faithful’s concerns, who are trying to forget Tatis Jr.’s recent slide.
Tatis Jr. has been a baseball phenom since his league debut in 2019. He has the rare combination of speed and power.
Every great player experiences a couple of bad stretches throughout the season. Tatis Jr. will refine his stroke. It is in his DNA to know what adjustments to make.