The Mystery of Tatis Jr.: Why the MLB Star’s Power Has Vanished

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[MyDaily = Reporter Shim Hye-jin] Fernando Tatis Jr.’s power drought has become alarming, and outlets in the U.S. are sounding the alarm.

On May 21 (Korean time), Tatis Jr. started at leadoff and at second base for the San Diego Padres at Petco Park against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He finished the night 1-for-3 with a walk.

The hit extended his streak to four games and nudged his season average to .278.

He grounded out to the pitcher in the first and drew a walk as the leadoff hitter in the fourth.

The key moment came in the fifth. With San Diego trailing 0-3 and the bases loaded with one out, Tatis Jr. faced Shohei Ohtani. He caught an 87.2-mph sweeper on the barrel, but the ball went right to the shortstop and turned into a 6-4-3 double play.

In the eighth, with one out and a runner on first, he chopped an infield single to third to complete a four-game hitting streak. Miguel Andújar then hit into a double play, and the Padres left the inning scoreless.

San Diego fell 0-4 and dropped the series.

After the game, MLB.com pointed to that double play as emblematic of a larger problem for Tatis Jr.

The outlet noted, “It’s May 21, and Tatis Jr. still hasn’t recorded a single home run. He had his best chance in the fifth, but it turned into a double play and erased San Diego’s opportunity.”

MLB.com added that he’s producing too many ground balls. “This play illustrates the issue Tatis Jr. is facing. He’s generating hard contact, but a lot of it becomes grounders. Even when he pulls the ball, it often stays on the ground,” the piece said. “His air-pull rate is just 6.8%. Among the 262 qualified hitters, he ranks 254th — a dismal mark that lines him up with hitters who primarily hit singles rather than drive for extra bases.”

Padres manager Craig Stammen said Tatis Jr. is working daily to correct the flaw. “When players are battling out of a slump and working so hard to fix things, it’s easy to get impatient. I’m seeing guys chase pitches they’d normally take. It’s a tough mental fight — baseball can be brutal when you’re in a slump,” Stammen said.

MLB.com stressed that San Diego needs a Tatis Jr. rebound. “The Padres need him to clear the wall or rip a double off the fence. We’re not asking for a home run every time up, but he has to provide those big moments occasionally. The length of this home run drought remains a mystery,” the site wrote.

Tatis Jr. signed a 14-year, 512 billion KRW (approximately 384 million USD) extension with San Diego in 2021. He had produced at least 20 home runs in each of the four seasons following the deal, but this campaign has seen a significant downturn in power.

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