Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. Leads MLB in Unfortunate Category as Concerns Mount

Despite a lack of consistent offense from star Fernando Tatis Jr. this season, the San Diego Padres have still found ways to win games. However, if the Padres are going to actually compete for a World Series title, the team is going to need Tatis to contribute.

Tatis has opened the season without a home run, seeing him go 131 plate appearances without one. This long streak is now only one shy of his career-worst drought that he suffered last season, and it's starting to get a little concerning.

Tatis currently leads the league in most plate appearances without a home run this season.

“Just not happy,” Tatis said after Wednesday's game, a 5-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs. “I’m going through it, and I’m just trying to figure it out.”

The veteran isn't giving up, and eventually he will connect on a home run. But the longer that this goes, the more doubt will grow. Overall, Tatis has hit .250 with 13 runs batted in and 13 walks drawn, while posting a troubling .609 OPS on the year.

Tatis has been trying to do everything that he can to break this drought and get himself going, but so far, nothing is working. At this point, his multi-year streak of hitting at least 20 home runs in a season each year is in jeopardy, and history isn't on his side.

“I’m doing everything,” Tatis said. “Hitting early, doing batting practice, after [games]. It still doesn’t turn around. I don’t know. Trying to figure it out.”

The Padres star is normally known for being one of the more explosive and electric hitters at the plate that the game has to offer. His energy on the field has helped to drive the Padres over the years, so his struggles are a little odd, to say the least.

But the team is backing its star player as he works through whatever is going on with himself at the plate. Padres hitting coach Steve Souza discussed the struggles of Tatis to open the 2026 season.

“The hardest thing about when you go through a stretch like this is to not try and do more,” Souza said to The Athletic. “When [Tatis] hits the ball, it’s like a hot knife slicing through butter, and it goes a long ways. The problem with any hitter in this room, not just Tati, is when you try and hit it far. That’s when you end up breaking down mechanically.

“Now, I don’t think he’s at that point just yet, but we’re all human, right? And we probably want to see a number up there that doesn’t say zero. But he’s been super mature through the process, and he’s been working every single day, so there’s not much more you could ask for."

Tatis will continue to go through his process at the plate and hope for the best. The veteran has been in a similar spot before, and he has been able to get himself out of it.

San Diego has won in spite of its star player, but the team may only be able to do this for so long. As the dog days of summer approach, this team will need Tatis to get going; otherwise, it could be a very long year for everyone involved.

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