'Nobody does that!': Look what Tatis did now
AJ Cassavell
@AJCassavellSAN DIEGO -- Against most opposing shortstops, George Springer would've had a single. Heck, the Astros' center fielder might've tried stretching his left-field bloop into a double.
Fernando Tatis Jr. is not most shortstops.
The Padres' 21-year-old phenom ranged deep into the outfield to make an unbelievable leaping catch on Sunday afternoon, robbing Springer in the eighth inning of the Padres¡¯ 5-3 victory. It was the latest highlight-reel play for a budding superstar who has racked up quite a few of them over his first 114 career games.
¡°He is so freaking talented,¡± said Padres skipper Jayce Tingler. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to explain it. We've got a No. 1 NFL receiver. We've got a point guard in the NBA. We've got a world class FIFA soccer player, maybe an anchor on a four-by-four Olympic team. We're just blessed that he was born in the Dominican and grew up playing baseball.
¡°He's a freak. And the other thing, too, is just how driven this guy is -- to not only be a great player but driven to be a champion.¡±
The best example of Tatis¡¯ championship-level mindset might be his defensive improvements. Sure, Tatis made plenty of brilliant defensive plays as a rookie last season. He also committed 18 errors, ranked fourth among all shortstops, despite playing only 83 games there.
Tatis reported to Spring Training and had a message for his coaching staff.
¡°I just told them I want to be great at defense,¡± Tatis said. ¡°That was a big hole for me last year. This year, we turn the page around and come in with something different.¡±
Halfway through the season, Tatis has yet to commit an error, and he has blended that steadiness with the spectacular. He also made a diving stop on a one-hopper hit by Jose Altuve in the fifth inning and somehow managed to turn a double play on the Astros¡¯ speedster.
Tatis went 2-for-3 with a walk, and his leadoff single in the bottom of the eighth sparked the Padres¡¯ go-ahead rally. It was merely the latest MVP-caliber display from the Padres¡¯ do-everything shortstop.
¡°That kid is a special player,¡± said Astros right fielder Josh Reddick. ¡°He¡¯s going to be a special player for a long time, and he¡¯s doing a great job of really running this game.¡±
There¡¯s a case to be made that Tatis¡¯ eighth-inning robbery of Springer is the best defensive play of his young career. According to Statcast, the hit had a projected distance of 208 feet. Tatis' starting depth was 146 feet, and he had 4.1 seconds to cover that ground. Afterward, he admitted to initially thinking he wouldn¡¯t make the play.
¡°I thought it had a little bit too much air,¡± Tatis said. ¡°But I never gave up on it, obviously. Thank God for my speed. I got there.¡±
He got there. Not many shortstops could. But not many shortstops are Fernando Tatis Jr.