Fernando Tatis Jr. might not be having his most productive season, but he’s still on pace to surpass last year’s home run total. Despite that, the Padres star recently opened up about his decision to skip the upcoming Home Run Derby.
So far, Tatis Jr. has hit 15 home runs—maybe not a huge number, but enough for Padres fans to hope he’d take part in the Derby. However, he confirmed he won’t participate, citing a desire to avoid injury as he’s already been dealing with some muscle discomfort.
“I wish, but I’ve been getting cramps (around) my obliques, so I’m not going to take the chance,” Tatis Jr. told Annie Heilbrunn. “I feel like it’s more important for me to stay healthy,” he added.
Tatis Jr. focused on the bigger picture
Tatis made it clear his priority isn’t midseason events like the Home Run Derby, but rather helping the Padres improve their standing in the NL West. San Diego currently holds a 48-41 record and remains in the hunt behind division rivals like the Dodgers and Giants.
“And now it’s going to be really three more months of baseball where we can turn things around and make this thing special,” he said, emphasizing his goal of pushing the Padres toward an MLB postseason return and possibly a deep October run.
Who’s confirmed for the Home Run Derby?
With Tatis Jr. opting out, only three players have been officially confirmed for the 2025 Home Run Derby so far: Ronald Acuña Jr., James Wood of the Nationals, and Cal Raleigh, who’s had a strong season with 35 home runs.
