Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. easing fans' concern after slow start to August

The Padres got hot late in the month of July, won the trade deadline, and are taking their momentum into the new week. Winning 12 of their last 15, the team is poised to make the playoffs, and have presented themselves with the chance to give the Dodgers a run for their money for the NL West crown.

What is truly impressive about this team’s performance as of late is the fact that one of their best player has been in a bit of a funk to start the month of August. Fernando Tatis Jr. was considered an MVP candidate heading into 2025, and it seemed like he was well on his way to being a part of that conversation. The 26-year-old through the first two months was slashing .269/.338/.491 with 13 homers and a wRC+ of 132.

However, Tatis saw a decline in production in the month of June which drew a large amount of concern as the Padres finished 13–15 during that stretch while sitting 7.5 games back of the Dodgers.

Padres still found ways to win despite Tatis Jr.'s slump, but he's climbing out of it

With a contending window still wide open, A.J. Preller made a plethora of moves to bolster the roster and make a run for the division. To say the moves paid off is an understatement, as the Padres now sit only a game behind the Dodgers for the division lead.

The crazy thing about this is that Tatis is still in the middle of a prolonged slump, as his wRC+ sits at 80, which is 20% below the league average hitter. But the Padres just continue to find ways to add to the win column.

San Diego has won three in a row and Tatis is batting .400 over that small stretch. It's not a matter of whether or not the Dominican superstar will heat up, it's asking yourself what the potential looks like for the Padres if he returns to the MVP level player that he is. It is nothing but up for Friar Faithful as we enter the final haul of the regular season.