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Padres need Fernando Tatis Jr. to reclaim Petco Park from Cubs MVP favorite Pete Crow-Armstrong

PCA found his spark at Petco. Let’s hope Tatis can pull the plug.
ByTremayne Person
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Sep 23, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) looks on from the dugout against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Sep 23, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) looks on from the dugout against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Of all the inconvenient truths attached to this Wild Card rematch, one that could really annoy Padres fans is that Pete Crow-Armstrong’s MVP season caught fire at Petco Park. He arrived in April with one home run and a .613 OPS. He homered on April 28, did it again the next afternoon and left town looking like a completely different hitter. Since that series, the Cubs star has produced a 1.007 OPS with 44 homers and 100 RBIs.

It’s almost like Petco Park became a launchpad for PCA’s 2026 campaign. Now he’s returning as a 40-40 player and the favorite to win National League MVP.

Chicago enters this rematch with the season-series advantage, the reigning postseason bragging rights and a superstar whose transformation began in San Diego’s backyard. The Padres fought their way to the top NL Wild Card spot so Petco could change that equation. Home field has to become more than a packed building. On top of the environment making the Cubs uncomfortable, Fernando Tatis Jr. is the player capable of piling on.

The MVP vote can wait. The Padres need Tatis to win this series

Crow-Armstrong had the better regular season. Tatis took a much messier road to get where he’s at right now. His first home run didn’t arrive until May 30, a drought that once made his entire season feel stuck in neutral. He entered the final weekend with 25 homers, completing one of the most dramatic in-season turnarounds in baseball and helping drag the Padres’ offense from an early-season disaster to MLB’s hottest September lineup. The Padres need the full Tatis experience now.

The responsibility doesn’t fall on Tatis alone. Plenty of players in this clubhouse remember how the Cubs ended their 2025 season at Wrigley Field.

Chicago held San Diego to five runs across the entire three-game Wild Card Series. The Padres managed one run in each loss and never led during the decisive Game 3. Their bullpen spent that afternoon keeping the season within reach while the lineup waited for a swing that arrived far too late. Tatis was part of that silence.

The Padres earned the privilege of bringing this rematch home. Now their biggest star has to seize it. Crow-Armstrong can have the MVP votes. 

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