Tatis on historic pace after must-see slide

A generational talent with generational flair, Fernando Tatis Jr. is making his presence felt across the Major League Baseball leaderboards this season.

And his healthy disregard for the sport's unwritten rules is only helping his cause.

In the fourth inning of the Padres' 6-4 win over the Rangers on Tuesday at Globe Life Field, Tatis unabashedly broke for third base. Never mind that the ball was still in the hand of Rangers righty Ian Gibaut. Never mind that the Padres were already ahead by six runs or that he was stealing third with two outs. Never mind that Gibaut had thrown behind Manny Machado on Monday night, one pitch after Tatis sparked a quasi-controversy by swinging on a 3-0 count and hitting a grand slam.

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If it wasn’t already clear, it should be now: Tatis only knows one speed. A 6-0 lead in the fourth inning wasn’t enough, so he broke for third base, then swerved to the inside of the baseline when he noticed Todd Frazier with the ball in his glove. Somehow, Tatis avoided Frazier's tag and wrapped his right arm around the third-base bag.

In doing so, Tatis ascended to the top of yet another leaderboard. As of the final out of Tuesday's victory, he was tied for first in the Majors with six stolen bases. He’s alone in first with 23 runs, 11 homers and 28 RBIs.

“It means I’ve got to keep working very hard, being up there with the best,” Tatis said.

Needless to say, that puts Tatis in some pretty exclusive company. Actually, it might put him in no company at all. Since 1920 when RBIs became an official stat, no player has ever finished a season leading the Majors in all four of those categories, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Let’s expand that search a bit to get some comps for Tatis. Per Elias, only three players have ever finished a season ranked in the top three in each of those four categories. And these are some names:

Hank Aaron, 1963: 44 HRs (T-2nd), 130 RBIs (1st), 121 runs (1st), 31 SBs (3rd)
Willie Mays, 1955: 51 HRs (1st), 127 RBIs (2nd), 122 runs (3rd), 24 SBs (3rd)
George Sisler, 1920: 19 HRs (2nd), 123 RBIs (T-2nd), 136 runs (3rd), 42 SBs (3rd)

“He’s an ultra, ultra, super talented player,” said Padres manager Jayce Tingler. “I can’t praise him enough for his work ethic and everything he’s done. He just continues to grow.”

Tatis is only 21 years old, but he’s already threatening to make history. And he’s doing so with unrelenting spunk, as usual. Tatis has already turned heads this season for his emphatic bat flips and his daredevil baserunning. On Monday, his bold 3-0 hack drew headlines everywhere. But Tatis wants to make it clear he’s just playing baseball like he’s always done.

"I just see some things as a celebration,” Tatis said Monday night. “To hit a home run is really hard. So why not enjoy it when we do it? A pitcher that strikes me out and screams out, I'm like, 'Yeah, celebrate, man. Celebrate. You deserve it.' This game is hard for everyone. Why not just celebrate and have fun?"

Maybe Tatis is right. Maybe the game is hard for everyone. He sure doesn’t make it look that way.