Fernando Tatis Jr.'s superstardom fell short in Padres' 2025 MLB playoffs run

The San Diego Padres fell short in the 2025 MLB playoffs. Big time. Though they played all three games on the road at Wrigley Field, it's difficult to fully excuse how the Friars' offense performed in the three biggest games of the year.

They totaled five runs this postseason, including two total in both losses as they were eliminated by the Cubs in the NL Wild Card round. It's not one single players' fault, but Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. had one of the most forgettable offensive efforts. We just wish the two-time Silver Slugger brought more juice in October.

Fernando Tatis Jr. struggled at the plate in NL Wild Card round vs. Cubs

Following a rough Game 1 loss that saw the Padres' 1-3 batters go hitless (Tatis Jr., Luis Arraez, Manny Machado), Tatis Jr. didn't quite rise to the challenge in neither Game 2 nor Game 3. The 26-year-old handed in a 1-for-12 effort with four strikeouts and one walk, marking the worst of five postseason series in his career.

To make matters worst, he went 0-for-4 on Thursday night in Game 3 with three strikeouts. His final at-bat of the season came on a K in the eighth inning after Freddy Fermin led off the frame with a single. He turned the lineup over with a runner aboard, but Tatis-Arraez-Machado went down in order to put up a blank. And Tatis Jr. was definitely upset with himself, probably more so than anyone else.

“Just the wrong approach. Wrong approach from the plate. Definitely bad timing for it,” Tatis said in a locker room interview following the Padres’ loss, via Marty Caswell of The Sporting Tribune. “[We need to] hit. Just f**king hit. … Just pick it up and everything.”

Last year, Tatis Jr. went 11-for-26 with six runs, four home runs, and three doubles in the postseason. Friars fans were excited for him to continue that success, but it was clear that he was a different version of himself in this series. It's a small sample size, and fans aren't mad at him, but there was much more expected of him in 2025. We move on to 2026 as the team's core is set to return with Tatis Jr. at the center of it all.

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