The 2025 Major League baseball season is approaching the first-quarter pole. It is fair to say Fernando Tatis Jr. has been the one constant in the San Diego Padres lackluster offense. He moved to the leadoff spot in the batting order and became the perfect spark for the attack.

Tatis Jr. is hitting .296/.365/.542 with 12 HRs, but others in the lineup have not met the challenge head-on. His production is north of the final numbers from last season. He batted .276/.340/.492 as the primary No. 2 hitter in the Padres batting order.

The road to stardom has been bumpy

Since signing his big-money contract (14 years/$340 million) in 2021, Tatis Jr. has been under the microscope. The shortstop performed above expectations by hitting a career-high 42 HRs, but a left shoulder subluxation (partial dislocation) forced him to learn how to play in the outfield. Tatis Jr. did not do himself any favors by testing positive for Clostebol, an anabolic steroid, in August 2022.

The Commissioner’s office suspended him for 80 games, which allowed Tatis Jr. to have surgery on his injured shoulder. The media focus heightened upon his return to the field. Not surprisingly, Tatis Jr. rose to the challenge and reclaimed his place among the game-changers in baseball today.

2025 exit velocity is up

The difference with Tatis Jr. is the exit velocity off his bat. It went from 93.7 MPH in 2024 to 94.5 MPH this season. You sense he prioritizes swinging hard and putting the ball in play. The numbers do not lie; his bat is faster through the zone.

What is the difference? Well, Tatis Jr. is another year removed from left shoulder surgery. He has regained his strength and is hitting the ball hard to all fields from the leadoff spot. Also, Tatis Jr. has been more disciplined during at-bats, as his walk-to-strikeout ratio (17.3 % to 9.7 %) is the best in his career. He has refrained from swinging at bad pitches that put him behind in the count.

Using the entire field during at-bats

Tatis Jr. is an outstanding hitter with a career .281 batting average. But after left shoulder surgery, he had to re-learn how to use the entire field again. This season, his pull percentage has decreased from 27.7 % in 2024 to 24.6 %. Tatis Jr. is hitting more pitches to the opposite field. The rate has jumped from 53.1 % last season to 57.7 % over the first two months of the season. All of the statistical numbers provided are comfortably above his career percentage.

It is not a coincidence that Tatis Jr. wants to use the entire field because he knows good things will occur with this approach. It might bring him his first 40+ doubles campaign.

Tatis Jr. needs assistance from others in lineup

The production from Tatis Jr. should have lengthened the Padres batting order, but the results have been below expectations for the last month. The Friars have averaged 4.33 runs scored per game, which ranks 14th in the majors.

The lackluster offense can be attributed to injuries to key run producers. Jake Cronenworth (broken rib) and Jackson Merrill (hamstring issues) have missed significant playing time, but both are back in the lineup. However, each has struggled to produce. Cronenworth has only 1 HR and 5 RBIs since his return to the lineup. Merrill is in a severe slump, batting only .105 (2-19) over the last week.

Overall, the batting order lacks making consistent contact and driving the ball to the gaps. Baseball is a game of failure, but the roster has too much talent to question the quality of their at-bats.

The Friar Faithful is tired of waiting for the offense to begin jelling again. This group must perform to their career numbers, as the Padres have fallen into third place in the competitive National League West.

Good hitters make adjustments each year. However, altering your swing is not an easy task. Tatis Jr. has excelled at becoming a generational talent once again.

Hopefully, the rewards will be plentiful.