Padres News: Xander Bogaerts Has Hall of Fame Comparison for Fernando Tatis

Sam Garcia | Oct 13, 2024

Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

Love him or hate him, there is no denying the talent of Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. The two-time Padres Most Valuable Player has shined in the second postseason run of his career, prompting a teammate to compare the 25-year-old to Baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz. 

“David did it a long time,” Padres second baseman Xander Bogaerts said to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal Tuesday night after the Padres took the lead of the National League Division Series with a 6-5 victory over the Dodgers. “But for how young (Tatis) is, you don’t see many people doing what he’s doing right now. He’s really putting us on his back right now. It’s special to see.”

Ortiz played in the Major Leagues for two decades, spending the majority of his career with the Boston Red Sox. By the time he retired in 2016, Ortiz was decorated as a 10-time American League MVP, seven-time AL Silver Slugger, three-time World Series champion, and the 2013 Willie Mays World Series MVP. Ortiz’s No. 34 was retired by the Red Sox in 2017.

Tatis Jr., who has yet to reach the six-years of service time mark, still has a long way to go before matching the resume of Ortiz. But, the young star has already accomplished so much. The Dominican Republic native is a two-time NL All-Star, two-time NL Silver Slugger, and a Gold and Platinum Glove winner.

Across the first six games of the Padres postseason, Tatis Jr. has been San Diego's best hitter. He slashes .500/.577/1.182 while logging eight runs, seven RBIs, four home runs, 26 total bases, and only one strikeout. Tatis Jr. has been walked four times, meaning he has gotten on base 15-for-22 at-bats. Tatis Jr. also hit two home runs in the Padres' dominating 10-2 victory over the Dodgers in Game 2 of the NLDS.

Although the Padres have been to the postseason two other times since Tatis Jr.'s rookie year, this is his first true experience in postseason play. In the 2020 COVID-19 postseason, crowds were slim to none and Tatis Jr. was suspended from the 2022 NLDS for using performance-enhancing drugs.

Sometimes strong regular-season players like Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts struggle in the postseason. Entering the series, Betts was battling a three-year postseason slump. For Tatis Jr., that has not been an issue. His talent at the plate and in the outfield has helped push the Padres one game away from the NLCS.