Fernando Tatis Jr.: Fantasy Baseball Impact Of Padres Phenom

Fernando Tatis Jr. has hit the big leagues sooner than almost everyone expected. The San Diego Padres put Tatis on their Opening Day roster and the 20-year-old shortstop looks like he’s ready for the challenge. Here’s a look at the impact he’ll make on fantasy baseball.

Tatis is a legitimate five-tool player who should be owned in all leagues. The Padres are going to give him every opportunity to play every day this season. Even if he struggles, the Friars likely won’t send him back down to the minor leagues. He just does too much on the field to shuttle him up and down all year.

Tatis has a ton of power and makes contact at a decent rate. He’ll likely bat in the back-half of the Padres batting order (sixth is probably his sweet spot) but he should have plenty of opportunities to create runs in their revamped offense. He also has elite speed and should steal some bases.

In 88 games at Double-A last year, Tatis hit .286, with 16 home runs, 43 RBI, 22 doubles and an OPS of .862. He also stole 16 bases in 21 attempts. That came despite being 19 years old and nearly five years younger than the average player in the Texas League.

Tatis’ season was cut short by a broken thumb, but he healed up enough to play extremely well in the Dominican Winter League. He led his team, Estrellas de Oriente, to its first title in 51 years.

In spring training this year, Tatis showed he belonged. He slashed .265//345/.490 with two home runs, four RBI and two stolen bases. He also played excellent defense.

Tatis is almost certainly taken in all keeper leagues, but he’s worth a pickup and bench stash in regular formats. He’s got to be considered among the favorites for National League Rookie of the Year, though it may take him some time to get acclimated.