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Fernando Tatis Jr. Nearly Doubles Home Run Total in Loss to Cubs
San Diego Padres second baseman/outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr.'s lack of power has been one of the bigger storylines in 2026. The 27-year-old Dominican entered Tuesday's clash against the hosting Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field with only three home runs in 319 at-bats. He flipped the narrative for at least one night, though, going 2-for-5 at the plate with two solo home runs and a strikeout as the Padres' leadoff hitter. Tatis is now hitting a strong .284 on the season with a .728 OPS and five home runs. He went deep off starter Matthew Boyd in the first inning on Tuesday, followed by another solo shot off reliever Javier Assad later in the game. Tatis' underlying metrics have always been hinting at a power surge eventually in 2026, and his buy-low window might already be shut. The three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner ranks in the 96th percentile in hard-hit rate, the 80th percentile in xwOBA, the 67th percentile in barrel rate, and the 66th percentile in xSLG. After coming into June with just one homer, Tatis homered four times in June, and many more could be coming in the second half.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
