It seems as if every time Padres rookie phenom Fernando Tatis Jr. steps on the field, he does something amazing. Whether he's making a seemingly impossible play at shortstop, showing off his speed with a steal or getting it done at the plate, the 20-year-old five-tool player always manages to impress.
During Sunday's series finale between the Padres and Braves (ATL 4, SD 1), Tatis found himself stuck in a rundown after a pickoff attempt from Braves rookie right-hander Mike Soroka. Tatis began to make his way toward second base, but switched gears and decided to sprint back to first. Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson threw the ball back to Soroka, but Tatis twisted his body and somehow, he avoided Soroka's tag and safely slid back to the bag. The move looked like it was straight out of "The Matrix," take a look:
"We grew up over there in DR (Dominican Republic) playing games like that, so that's where it comes from," Tatis told reporters after the game.
Tatis also had a great day at the plate too. He went 4 for 5 and scored one run in the loss. He's been simply sensational in his first MLB season, and despite missing a month with a hamstring strain, his numbers are crazy good. He's hitting .339/.406/.615 with a 1.021 OPS. He has 14 home runs, nine doubles, five triples and 14 stolen bases in 221 at-bats.
At the midpoint mark in the 2019 season, Mets rookie Pete Alonso got the nod from the CBS Sports MLB staff for National League Rookie of the Year. But Tatis finished second in the voting. Entering Monday, Tatis is 25th in baseball with a 3.4 WAR. He only trails Alonso (3.5) among rookies.
