Padres Stars Have Message for Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong Before Wild-Card Series

San Diego Padres superstar outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. loves the way Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong plays the game of baseball.

“How he plays the game, that’s just a role model,” Tatis said. “I feel like not everybody should play that way, and everybody cannot play that way. But that’s the most exciting part of the game when you can be elite in every single area.” Tatis, of course, believes he can play that way, too. Now the five-tool outfielders will face off with everything on the line."

The Padres are set to face off against the Cubs in the National League wild-card series for the second consecutive season. This time, though, it will be in San Diego.

Padres Game 1 starter and ace Michael King had high praise for the likely National League MVP, who will be leading off for the Cubs in the first at-bat of the series.

"I think his development and how he adjusted. You saw last year there was still a ton of strikeouts, a ton of chase, and he’s fully taken that down," King said.

"So now you have a guy that is super toolsy, that obviously plays phenomenal defense, but now you’re up at the plate with a ton of contact, a ton of power, and not a ton of chase. Like you said, it’s an MVP season. Having him start them off is definitely a test and definitely something that we have to focus on of keeping him off the bases and setting the tone early."

Padres superstar Manny Machado said he saw Crow-Armstrong's emergence coming, and is super excited for the 24-year-old.

"It’s been awesome, and it’s been great to see the season that he’s had, 40, 40, putting that team on his back," Machado said. "I seen it coming. Last couple years it’s been a little glimpse here and there of what he can do. Obviously he took his game to the next level. So to see him succeed like he has been, it’s great for the game. It’s good to see. I couldn’t be more excited for a player like that."

Crow-Armstrong finished the 2026 regular season hitting .280 with 45 home runs, 107 RBIs, 41 stolen bases and an OPS of .943. He had 9.8 bWAR, 10.6 fWAR and was arguably the best defender in baseball with 25 Outs Above Average in center field

Can Fernando Tatis Jr. Outperform Pete Crow-Armstrong in the Wild-Card Series?

Tatis may not have played at Crow-Armstrong's level all season, but that's certainly been the case for the last four months.

Since May, 30, the 27-year-old Padres star hit 25 home runs and ranked second in fWAR, behind only Crow-Armstrong.

In the playoffs, teams tend to go as their best players go. In this case, it will be the team's leadoff hitters and superstar outfielders trying to will them to the National League Division Series.

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