Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. gets the respect he deserves with latest hitting power rankings

Is Fernando Tatis Jr. the best player in the National League? The debate could be long. It could be arduous. Whether he is the overall best player or not, at least he is in the conversation. Entering May 2, Tatis Jr. is tied with New York Mets' Pete Alonso for highest fWAR in the NL (2.1).

That metric alone is enough to get Tatis Jr. a seat at the table. His MVP-worthy metrics have earned national attention, and in the latest Hitter Power Rankings put together by Major League Baseball, the Padres star outfielder ranks fifth overall and third in the National League. It's a breath of fresh air to see him receiving this respect so early in the season, especially after a "down" season in 2024.

Entering Friday, the 26-year-old is tied for the most hits in the National League (39) with St. Louis Cardinals' Brendan Donovan. His .345 batting average is also tops in the league by three points over Alonso.

It's also not like Tatis Jr. is hot-and-cold, either. Through his first 29 games, Tatis Jr. has 13 multi-hit games, including five over his last 10 contests.

From a team perspective, Tatis Jr. is atop each offensive category for the Friars, who have the third-best winning percentage (.633) in Major League Baseball entering May 2. He is first in runs scored (25), home runs (8), RBIs (18), walks (13), stolen bases (7), and OPS (1.011).

It makes sense that he is in the same conversation as Shohei Ohtani, Pete Alonso, and Corbin Carroll. In a season that has been brutally riddled by injuries in San Diego, Tatis Jr. has been the consistent spark that this organaztion needed to stay afloat. Jackson Merrill, Jake Cronenworth, and Yu Darvish have all missed significant time. Luis Arraez was out for awhile, too. Besides Manny Machado, the Friars absolutely needed Tatis Jr. to come through every day and play like a superstar.

Tatis Jr.'s production so far begs the question: Is this the year he completely breaks through and receives the MVP award? It's too early to tell, and in a world where Ohtani rules everything, it will be difficult, but Tatis Jr. should expect his name to be in contention throughout the 2025 season if this tirade continues at the plate.