Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. Baffled by Shocking Home Run Drought

The San Diego Padres have been one of the hottest teams across baseball over the last few weeks, following a very slow start to the season.

Despite the roster dealing with injuries and inconsistency at the plate, the team has still found ways to win games.

San Diego has exceeded expectations, at least so far, and their performance has them neck and neck with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West division. But one of the more surprising storylines from the Padres to open the year is the fact that the team has been winning without the normally reliable services of star Fernando Tatis Jr. at the plate.

Tatis has struggled heavily to open the new season, and his performance at the plate has been a little concerning. The veteran has yet to hit a home run this year, and he recently opened up about the ongoing issues with his power.

“I don’t know what the f— is going on,” Tatis said. “But, man, just keep going out there and keep grinding.”

Tatis has gone 123 plate appearances without a home run to start the year. It's the second-longest homerless streak of his career; he went 132 plate appearances without a home run last season.

Overall, Tatis is hitting. 257 with 12 runs batted in, seven walks drawn and an OPS of .631. The Padres star hasn't been able to get his groove going yet, but he isn't giving up on himself.

The issues at the plate from Tatis haven't impacted the offense too badly, which should be a scary thought for opposing teams. But Padres manager Craig Stammen has no doubt that his star will eventually get things going.

“He’s definitely been working on that,” Stammen said. “I think eventually you’re going to see a very hot Fernando Tatis Jr.”

Tatis is hitting the ball hard, ranking in the 96th percentile in MLB in average exit velocity and the 100th percentile in hard-hit percentage. And yet, he doesn't have a home run to show for it.

Over the last few years, Tatis has been one of the more electric players in baseball, dazzling fans with his incredible power and skill set. This is also why his home run drought to start 2026 is even stranger.

Tatis has hit at least 20 home runs in every full season that he has played in, with his career high being 42 in 2021. His power and pure electricity at the plate have been massively impactful for the Padres, and he is easily the face of this franchise.

But as the year goes on, San Diego will need him to get going in the power department. While the team can survive in April without his normal numbers, winning a World Series while he struggles will be very tough for the Padres.

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