Prospect Pad Retrospective: Padres SS Fernando Tatis Jr

Image credit: Fernando Tatis Jr. at the 2018 BA Prospect Pad

As we continue our look back at interviews from past Baseball America Prospect Pads, today we take a look at Padres SS Fernando Tatis Jr. 

Tatis Jr. joined the 2018 Baseball America Prospect Pad. Knocking on the door of a big league call up at the time, Tatis Jr. already knew what it was like to be in a big league clubhouse from being around his dad.

“The most exciting part was when I got to the hitting tunnels and could smell all the new balls. That’s was my favorite part of everything. Being in the clubhouse with all those big league players, it was something special. That marked my life and from there I started saying I wanted to be here,” Tatis said. 

The Padres have yet to win a World Series and have not been to one since 1998. Their last playoff appearance was over a decade ago. Tatis and the rest of the young Padres core plan on changing that. 

“Everybody is hungry about it. Everybody is pushing for it and everyone is coming for it. That’s the goal for everybody now. Create a bond, create a family, and just start from there,” Tatis said in his Prospect Pad interview.

Tatis Jr. has enjoyed a successful start to his big league career thus far is in the midst of turning the Padres into a contender.