Padres: Fernando Tatis Jr. Hustles Around The Bases Like No Other

Right now, Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres is the most electrifying player in the game, and damned if he’s not out to prove just that. What’s more, he doesn’t care if it’s a Cactus League exhibition or not.

For instance, just take a look at what he does in Saturday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

First, Tatis Jr. batters a ball off the opposing pitcher that lands in the direction of his position for an infield single. Next, he heads first to third base on a ball that doesn’t leave then infield. Finally, he completes the hustle display by scoring on a sacrifice fly on a ball that probably surprised Arizona that he would even attempt to score upon.

Now this is everything that fans of baseball should be excited about. It’s a post that is about something that happened on the field of play that you don’t see often. Moreover, Tatis Jr. shows people through a different lens just how exciting and impactful someone of his rare talent can be.

However, one has nightmares of him getting hurt so early into his 14-year contract extension.

In short, this is cool as can be, but bubble-wrap this guy and get him to the season in one piece so that no one (including fantasy baseball owners who are taking him no. 1 overall right now) are robbed of any time when the games matter.

The Padres figure to be a 90-plus win team easily with Tatis Jr. in the lineup and perhaps can even contend for the National league West with the loaded Los Angeles Dodgers. Notably, it would be tough to do this if he gets hurt hustling before he has a chance to show us that he’s going to go 40-40 in his first year of the mega-extension.