The San Diego Padres fell 3-2 to the Pittsburgh Pirates in extra innings Monday night in their series opener.
Fernando Tatis Jr. went 0-for-5 at the plate with two strikeouts.
However, before the series began Monday, the Padres and MLB announced some exciting news involving Tatis Jr.
Padres Announce Tatis Jr. News
MLB named the Padres superstar the National League Player of the Week after he dominated at the plate during a strong stretch last week.
Tatis Jr. recorded 12 hits in 25 at-bats for a .480 average, along with four home runs and 11 RBIs. He also posted a remarkable 1.521 OPS.
“Who else but El Niño?” the Padres posted on social media.
Padres Fans React on Social Media
San Diego fans reacted to the news by praising Tatis Jr. for what isn’t his first and certainly won’t be his last Player of the Week honor.
“Best player in baseball right now,” one fan said.
Someone else added, “bro is the GOAT!”
Another person wrote, “Easiest decision in MLB history.”
“I love all the Tatis love lately. Remember to ride with Bro when he’s down in a slump as well,” a fan shared.
“Amazing doesn’t even describe it!” one more person commented.
Tatis Jr.’s 2026 Season
Tatis Jr. is enjoying another strong season as he tries to help push the Padres into postseason contention.
Now in his seventh MLB season with San Diego, he’s appeared in 130 games and logged 508 at-bats.
Tatis Jr. is batting .287 with 75 runs, 146 hits, 17 home runs, 67 RBIs and 30 stolen bases. He’s also slugging .449 with a .807 OPS.
Padres Right Now
San Diego sits in the middle of an extremely tight National League postseason race.
Monday’s loss dropped the Padres to 71-61, but they still hold the final Wild Card spot in the NL. They currently lead the Arizona Diamondbacks by 2.0 games for that position.
San Diego Padres Announced Fernando Tatis Jr. News Before Pirates Series