Fernando Tatís Jr. Made a Superhuman Throw to Nail a Runner at the Plate
What a rocket
Fernando Tatís Jr. is part of a small group of guys who can lay claim to the title of baseball’s most exciting player. He’s currently leading the National League in both home runs and stolen bases. (No player has done that for a full season since 1932.) And while his defense is statistically below average, he’s always making thrilling plays in the field.
On Monday night, he went viral for this leaping catch where he stayed in the air for so long that he appeared to jump twice.
He was at it again on Tuesday, making a throw so impressive that the crowd in San Diego started chanting “MVP.”
When Nationals catcher Yan Gomes ripped a double down the line in the top of the second, Starlin Castro attempted to score from first. He probably would have made it safely, if not for a stunning throw by Tatís.
Tatís’s throw was clocked at 95.8 mph, the fastest throw for an out by an infielder this season. That might not sound that fast in a league where pitchers top 100 mph like it’s no big deal, and it’s still a far cry from the fastest throw by a fielder (105 mph by the Yankees’ Aaron Hicks in 2016), but the replay angle of Tatís’s throw is what makes it so impressive.
Tatís caught the throw from Jurickson Profar and fired it home all in one motion. He didn’t take a big crow hop like an outfielder or wind up like a pitcher. He just whipped it home as hard as he could and with enough accuracy to nail Castro at the plate.
The ironic thing is, Tatís has blown several easy throws this season. It’s something he’s been working with infield coach Bobby Dickerson to fix.
“It’s definitely something you can learn,” Tatís said in May. “It’s definitely an area that is so important for the game. It’s definitely something we’ve got to keep working on and get better. Sometimes I have to slow down. That’s my blessing and my curse.”
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