Fernando Tatis Jr Sends Message to Padres Lineup Ahead of Opening Day

There are only a handful of days left before the San Diego Padres kick off the 2026 season against reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers. This will be a big challenge for the Padres to open the year, but San Diego isn't shying away.

This Padres club has World Series aspirations this season, despite many MLB insiders not believing in them. There are real questions around the starting rotation entering the season, which means that the San Diego offense will have to carry a bigger burden this year.

Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. understands this, and he is ready to prove everyone wrong this season. Just before the beginning of the year, Tatis issued a message to the rest of his teammates, saying that they need to start games fast.

“We need to come off the gate hauling ass, putting pressure right away,” Tatis said to the San Diego Union-Tribune. “That probably will be the easiest pitcher we face. So we better get out of the gate going.”

Tatis pointed out that starting pitchers may be easier to hit since they don't tend to throw as hard. But at least for the first game of the season, this may not be the case, considering that Skubal is seen as arguably the best pitcher in baseball.

Getting off to a strong start in games can be beneficial, especially considering how dominant some bullpens are around the majors. Padres manager Craig Stammen agreed with his star, saying that the game plan is to get out to early leads from the offense.

“The relievers that get thrown out there … you don’t really want to face those guys,” Stammen said. “So getting runs early, especially for our club, is going to be a big deal. It’ll lead to a lot of success.”

The entire offense for the Padres starts and ends with Tatis and how he performs. The veteran is the energizer for this team, and if he is on his game, San Diego could be a true threat in the National League.

Tatis has been one of the bigger reasons why the Padres have been nicknamed "Slam Diego" over the last few years. He has hit at least 21 home runs in four straight years, but he knows that he can do more for this team overall.

“I know what I’m capable of doing,” Tatis said recently. “I’m dealing with 1,000 things. Just having that curse — it’s also a blessing, but a curse — that you know that you’re just better than what you’re showing.”

Overall, last season, Tatis played in 155 games, hitting .268 with 25 home runs and 71 runs batted in. Tatis believes he can be even better, and he has proved it in his career already, becoming the star he is today.

Staying on the field will be crucial for him and the entire Padres offense, since the pitching staff has so much uncertainty within it. But for Tatis, he is ready to go — and San Diego is ready to overcome all obstacles in their way.