Padres' $340 Million Star Could Win First MVP This Season, Says Insider

MLB.com's Will Leitch listed San Diego Padres All-Star right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. as a player who could win his first MVP award in the 2025 season.

"Tatis is actually leading the NL in WAR right now — he’s second to Judge in all of baseball — and it turns out that right field is the perfect position for him; he’s maybe the best right fielder in the sport" said Leitch. "He’s not only hitting for power, getting on base and playing terrific defense, either: He’s even stealing bases again. (This may end up being his 30-30 year.) And he has the Padres as one of the happiest surprises in the sport. He’s not what we thought he was. He’s probably better."

More news: Padres' Manny Machado Has Blunt 4-Word Response to San Diego's Struggles

Tatis has been tearing the cover off of the ball in the 2025 season, leading the Padres in home runs while sitting one shy of the lead in both hits and RBIs. His .891 OPS trails only Jackson Merrill's .937 mark, but Merrill has more than 100 fewer plate appearances than Tatis.

MLB experts voted Tatis as the favorite to win the MVP award earlier in May, receiving 16 of 46 first place votes.

Tatis put together an MVP-caliber season with the Padres in 2021, pacing the National League with 42 home runs while notching a career-high 97 RBIs. However, he missed all of the 2023 season with an 80-game PED suspension, fractured wrist and torn labrum. This season is the closest he's been to reaching his pre-injury numbers.

In 2025, Tatis is striking out at a rate lower than 20% for the first time in his career, and is walking at 9.5% of the time compared to his 7.3% mark from last season.

“All the respect to all the big-league talent that is out there,” Tatis said ahead of the 2025 season. “I definitely acknowledge them. But when I’m 100% and my head is in the right spot, I feel like I’m second to no one in the baseball field. But definitely knowing what the work takes to be there. And especially the competition that is out there. And definitely embracing (it), because players are so good right now in this time of the baseball era, it only makes you want to be better and get better.

"So I’m definitely in that role and looking forward to being the best version of myself out there.”

More news: Padres Outfielder Officially Elects to Leave Organization For $2 Million Deal in Japan

Tatis and the Padres are looking to turn their luck around after being swept in their last two series. They will travel to Atlanta for a three-game series against the Braves beginning Friday at 4:10 p.m. PT/7:10 p.m. ET.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.