Why Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. problem needs to be resolved ASAP

While the Padres have an impressive 25-17 record on the season, they've scored just 177 runs and allowed 174, slightly improving their run differential to +3.

But the +63 run differential Dodgers will almost assuredly pass the Padres if they cannot begin slugging more this season.

The key to getting more offensive production in 2026 for San Diego is the breakout of Tatis. The previous low-mark of his career was a .770 OPS in 2023, and even then, he was still a productive hitter with 25 homers and a .257 batting average.

While his .252 average this season isn't terrible by any means, his .298 slugging percentage and .626 OPS are big red flags. Tatis still doesn't have a home run. It's May 14th.

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The Padres are in first place in the NL West, but that's not likely to last based on their poor run differential and the quality of opponents they've faced this season.

If San Diego want's to stay atop the division and return to the playoffs, they will need Tatis to turn things around ASAP. He's been too good a hitter throughout his career for this production to continue.

However, if Tatis continues to struggle to such an egregious degree, then not only would the Padres be in danger of falling out of the NL West lead, but the $340 million deal for Tatis would begin to look like a massive mistake.

Between Tatis proving he's worth his massive contract and the Padres needing to maintain their top spot in the division, it's clear that Tatis needs to break out of this slump as soon as possible.

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