Padres' Tatis Jr. Blames 'Baseball Gods' for Early Season Slump

The star shortstop is off to a slow start but remains confident it will turn around.

Apr. 11, 2026 at 4:08am

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A cubist-style painting featuring sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in navy blue, forest green, and burnt orange, breaking down a baseball player's batting stance and swing into a fractured, multi-perspective visual.Tatis' unorthodox swing mechanics are deconstructed into a cubist masterpiece, reflecting the star shortstop's struggles to find his groove at the plate.San Diego Today

San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. is struggling at the plate to start the 2026 MLB season, hitting just .204/.293/.265 with no home runs through 13 games. Tatis acknowledged his poor numbers but said he's been hitting the ball hard and believes the 'baseball gods' are simply upset with him right now. The underlying numbers suggest Tatis has been unlucky, as he's in the 99th percentile for hard-hit percentage and 90th percentile for exit velocity, but his fly ball rate is down significantly from his career norms.

Why it matters

Tatis is one of the most exciting young players in baseball and the Padres are hoping he can return to his All-Star form to help the team compete for a playoff spot. His early season struggles have been surprising, but the advanced stats indicate he's been hitting the ball well and his production should improve if he can start elevating the ball more consistently.

The details

Through 13 games, Tatis is batting just .204 with a .293 on-base percentage and .265 slugging percentage. He has yet to hit a home run. Tatis acknowledged his poor numbers but said he's been hitting the ball hard to all fields, suggesting he's been unlucky. The underlying numbers back that up, as Tatis is in the 99th percentile for hard-hit percentage and 90th percentile for exit velocity. However, his fly ball rate is down to just 17%, well below his career norms of over 23%.

  • Tatis' struggles have come through the first 13 games of the 2026 MLB season.

The players

Fernando Tatis Jr.

The star shortstop for the San Diego Padres, considered one of the most exciting young players in baseball.

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What they’re saying

“'Obviously we want better numbers or whatever, but I've been playing some good baseball, playing defense. Offense, hitting the ball hard to every part of the field, but looks like the baseball gods are really mad at me right now. It's alright, I'll take it. We've got five more months of baseball. I'm ready for it, I'm really prepared and I have all the confidence in the world that it's going to turn around.'”

— Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres Shortstop

What’s next

If Tatis can begin elevating the ball more consistently, his production should improve and the Padres will be hoping he can return to his All-Star form to help the team compete for a playoff spot.

The takeaway

Tatis' early season struggles are surprising given his immense talent, but the underlying numbers suggest he's been hitting the ball well and just hasn't been getting the results. As long as he maintains his strong approach at the plate, it's only a matter of time before the 'baseball gods' start smiling on him again.