In just four months, Fernando Tatis Jr has already been better than any shortstop to play for the San Diego Padres over the past dozen years…combined.
Over the past dozen years, the San Diego Padres have had few moments of success. Since capturing consecutive NL West titles in 2005 and 2006, the franchise has generally struggled, with just two winning seasons in that span. While there were some solid players with the Padres over those years, that has not been the case at every position.
Shortstop, in particular, has been a black hole before the arrival of Fernando Tatis Jr. Just how bad has the position been? Well, in just 64 games, Tatis has been better than any other Padres shortstop…combined.
Here's a thing: Through 64 games at age 20, Fernando Tatis Jr. has already accrued more fWAR than all Padres shortstops in the last 12 years combined.
— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) July 23, 2019
Right now, Tatis Jr. ranks second amongst Padres shortstops, being worth 3.3 fWAR in those 64 games. The only shortstop to accumulate more total value since the start of 2007 has been Everth Cabrera, who needed 481 games to be worth 4.5 fWAR.
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It is easy to see why Tatis Jr. has been so valuable. Heading into Tuesday’s action, he had produced an excellent .324/.388/.595 batting line, hitting 16 homers, nine doubles, and five triples, while stealing 14 bases. While the glove is not yet at that level, with Tatis Jr. having cost the Padres eight runs defensively, his offense more than makes up for that.
It may not be much longer before Tatis Jr. has the most fWAR of any Padres shortstop in that time span. Cabrera is certainly within striking distance, and could easily be surpassed in the next month or two. It would certainly not be a surprise for Tatis Jr. to take over that top spot by the time the calendar turns to September.
This may just be the beginning. Although Manny Machado provides plenty of star power, the Padres need more than just that one bat. Tatis Jr., although he is just 20 years old this season, is showing that he could develop into another superstar. With plenty of exciting prospects on the cusp of making their presence felt, Tatis Jr. is just the beginning.
Even though he has been in the majors for just a short time, Fernando Tatis Jr. has made an impact on the San Diego Padres record books. He has easily been their best shortstop in the past dozen years, and the metrics prove it.