Padres Manager Doesn't Understand How Fernando Tatis Only Has 2 Home Runs

While the San Diego Padres have fallen in the standings over the last few weeks due to a lack of consistent offense, the team remains competitive in the National League.

Early in the year, the Padres were able to win games without consistent contributions from key players. But as the season has gone on, teams have caught up to the Padres, and now it's gut-check time for this organization.

One player who struggled early this season but has been much better as of late is Fernando Tatis Jr. Tatis still only has two home runs on the year, but he's found other ways to get on base and impact the game.

Overall, Tatis has hit .281 with two home runs and 21 runs batted in, while putting up an OPS of .695. His second home run came on a walk-off on Wednesday, sending the Padres to a big series win over the Cincinnati Reds.

Fernando Tatis Jr.'s 2nd career walk-off homer! https://t.co/Lgqmm9Q4z3 pic.twitter.com/iPbmhP2ZYV
— MLB (@MLB) June 10, 2026

After the game, Padres manager Craig Stammen said he believes Tatis should have more home runs on the year.

“It’s a wonder that he hasn’t just ran into a few more,” Stammen said. “We see other guys hit home runs and seems like they’re just running into balls. But it’s not that easy to hit a home run in the major leagues. We take it for granted with some of these guys, and it’s just nice to see Fernando sneak one over the wall today.”

In all fairness, Tatis has had some tough breaks this year when hitting. But in an era where the long ball is common, it's rare to see a star like him have such small power numbers.

But there is some good news for the Padres' star as he has started to hit the ball much better of late.

This could translate to more hits becoming home runs, helping to fuel the Padres' offense. Stammen has credited Tatis for doing the little things well while his power numbers have come along slowly, and to his credit, he has made an impact regardless.

But if this team is going to reach the big goals that were set at the start of the season, Tatis will have to be better at the plate on a more consistent basis.

The front office will likely be active at the trade deadline this summer, giving more help to Tatis and the rest of the lineup. But if Tatis can get himself going, the sky could really be the limit for this Padres team come playoff time.

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