Fernando Tatis Jr. officially kicked off the 2025 season for the San Diego Padres with a colossal 410-foot solo home run, giving his team the lead against the Atlanta Braves. It was one of those signature plate appearances where the crowd anticipates greatness from “El Niño.”
It’s worth noting that Tatis Jr. hit 21 home runs in 2024—four fewer than the previous season—but this came in just 102 games, totaling 438 plate appearances. Despite the limited action, he surpassed 110 hits and contributed 64 runs for the Padres.
During spring training, it was evident that Tatis Jr. was seeing the ball well, posting a .259 batting average in only 33 plate appearances, with one home run. The signs were clear that he was ready to start the season strong for the team.
If Tatis Jr. stays healthy and out of trouble in 2025, things could look very promising for him and the Padres. The team needs him and all their offensive weapons to go as far as possible again and aim for something beyond just a Wild Card spot.
Projection for Tatis in 2025
Baseball Reference projects Tatis Jr. to have at least 483+ plate appearances in 2025 with the Padres, along with contributing a minimum of 20 home runs. This could mark another consecutive season with 20 or more homers, though he still hasn’t surpassed the 42 he hit back in 2021.
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As for his batting average, Tatis Jr. is projected to post a modest .268 with a .798 OPS. This projection suggests he might record slightly better numbers than in 2024 when, despite being limited, he hit .276 with an OPS of .833—his best stats since his 2022 PED suspension.
