“The most overrated since Derek Jeter”
Fernando Tatis Jr. started as right fielder and first hitter in an exhibition game against the Seattle Mariners held at Peoria Stadium in Arizona, USA on the 3rd (Korean time) and had no hits in two at-bats. With 1 walk and 1 goal, he showed anxiety in the defense.
Tatis Jr. was San Diego’s ‘superstar’ until the 2021 season. Tatis Jr., who stepped on the big league stage in San Diego in 2019, played in 84 games and recorded 106 hits, 22 homers, 53 RBIs, 61 points, 16 stolen bases, a batting average of 0.317 OPS 0.969, and was reborn as a ‘main player’ at the same time as his debut.
Tatis Jr. recorded 62 hits, 17 homers, 45 RBIs, 50 points, 11 steals, a batting average of 0.277 OPS and 0.937 in 59 games in 2020, when the shortened season was held. succeeded in concluding And the following year, he hit 42 homers in 130 games, hitting 0.282 OPS and 0.975, proving that San Diego’s ‘eye’ was not wrong.
However, prior to the 2022 season, Tatis Jr. went from being a superstar to being a ‘troubleshooter’. Tatis Jr. underwent wrist surgery due to an offseason motorcycle accident, and before returning, he tested positive for a banned substance and was suspended for 80 games by the MLB Secretariat.
While Tatis Jr. had a hiatus in the 2022 season, Ha-seong Kim took advantage of the opportunity and took the position of ‘main player’. Despite already having two shortstops, San Diego kept busy after last season, signing Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280 million contract. In other words, Tatis Jr. was put in a situation where a position change was inevitable due to various incidents and the existence of Kim Ha-sung and Bogatz.
San Diego considered changing the position of Tatis Jr., who has poor defense compared to offense, and hired Bogatz, and on the 3rd, he was first used as an outfielder in an exhibition game. He worked hard to improve his outfield defense in the offseason, but the content was obviously disappointing.
Tatis Jr. neatly caught Teosca Hernandez’s batted ball toward him in the first inning. However, in the 3rd inning, with 2nd out and 1st base, Hernandez hit the ball again and headed toward the right field, and Tatis Jr. made the mistake of catching and missing the ball. It didn’t lead to a goal, but the anxiety couldn’t be erased. 스포츠토토
Perhaps it was because Tatis Jr.’s image deteriorated due to various incidents, and criticism was flooded for one unfortunate defense. American baseball podcast ‘Tokin Baseball’ pointed out that Tatis Jr. “has a problem in right field defense.” And cold reactions from fans followed, such as “The most overrated player since Derek Jeter” and “San Diego regrets this contract.”
However, the command tower thought of ‘trial and error’. According to ‘MLB.com’, manager Bob Melvin defended Tatis Jr., saying, “There will be such a play for Tatis. There will be times when he will be frustrated someday, but he will learn a lot from him.” Tatis Jr. also said, “I’ve been immersed in outfield defense, and I can definitely do it.”
Tatis Jr.’s image was ruined last year due to a broken wrist and drug use. However, it remains to be seen if he can change the way he views himself with good plays after returning to the field.