Early on in the 2026 campaign, the San Diego Padres have established themselves as one of the best teams in the majors, as their 19-11 record is tied for the fourth-best mark in the league. Making that even more impressive is the fact that the Padres are winning, despite not getting the sort of production they are accustomed to from superstar outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr.
It’s been an odd start to the season for Tatis, as he is hitting .250 with 13 RBIs and eight stolen bases. And yet, despite being one of the premier power hitters in the game, Tatis has yet to hit a single home run in his 131 plate appearances. Even with the team’s collective success, Tatis’ frustration is beginning to boil over, and he recently addressed his home run drought with a blunt message.
Fernando Tatis Jr. Doesn’t Hold Back on His Home Run Drought
Ever since finding his way to the majors back in 2019, Tatis has been one of the best all-around players in the league. Tatis has three All-Star selections to his name to go along with a pair of Silver Sluggers and two Platinum Glove Awards. Simply put, there aren’t many players in the game of baseball making the sort of impact that Tatis makes.
In 2025, Tatis was his usual spectacular self, as he posted a .268 batting average with 25 home runs, 71 RBIs, and 32 stolen bases. This season, though, the results haven’t arrived for Tatis yet. While he’s continually hitting the ball hard, no matter what he does, he cannot find a way to get the baseball out of the ballpark.
The results will surely swing in Tatis’ favor at some point in the near future, as he’s too good a player to remain without a single home run for much longer. But for the time being, Tatis is laboring through the worst home run drought of his career, and he struggled to hide his frustrations when discussing his early-season power outage.
“I’m doing everything,” Tatis said, per Dennis Lin of The Athletic. “Hitting early, doing batting practice, after (games). It still doesn’t turn around. I don’t know. Trying to figure it out … Just not happy. I’m going through it, and I’m just trying to figure it out.”
Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres Still Have a Lot Going Right for Them
GettySAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 27: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres singles during the fourth inning of a game against the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park on April 27, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Tatis’ struggles are certainly frustrating, but there’s no reason to panic just yet. As noted above, he’s continuing to make good contact, and if he can keep doing that, he will find himself on a heater in no time. Beyond that, San Diego is winning even with Tatis struggling, so once he gets going, this team is going to be a real problem for the rest of the league.
All Tatis can do is remain consistent with his process and continue to make good decisions at the plate. At some point, he’s bound to send one to the stands, and getting that weight off his shoulders could be all he needs to get himself back on track. Tatis will get a much-needed day off on Thursday before the Padres kick off a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.
Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. Issues Blunt Message on Home Run Drought