Fernando Tatis Jr. returns the illusion to the San Diego Padres

The start of the MLB season has been splendid for Latino players. After 2020 with empty stadiums and which, for many, was a campaign that should not have been played, baseball is returning to normal and with it, the flavor that only Latino players know how to add. One of the most prominent is Fernando Tatis Jr, who has appeared as the banner of the San Diego Padres, a hitter who can turn every at-bat into a moment for the history books.

Tatis Jr. has had a memorable 2021 from the start, despite being on the disabled list a couple of times (including a Covid-19 absence), the San Diego Padres shortstop is not stopping to generate success. He is also struggling to be the home run leader in all majors (currently he has taken 17 balls out of the park), along with two other Latinos: Vladimir Guerrero Jr .; and Ronald Acuña Jr. (both tied at 18 at the time of writing).

El Niño's phenomenal start to the season has captured all fans' eyes because it has restored hope to a team that has been in the basement of the MLB for too long. The Dominican's personality has led San Diego fans to believe that this team is headed for its most golden days. And the Padres' rivals, he has made them fearful.

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With a contract of 330 million dollars to collect in 14 years, Tatis is expected to do what he is doing and it is speculated that he will achieve much more, his talent makes him a fantastic player capable of almost anything. In addition to being in the running to be the player with the most homers connected, Tatis is an exceptional base robber, currently tied for second with Trea Turner (both at 13) and behind Whit Merrifield of the Kansas City Royals. (17).

It should be noted that a player who hits home runs so frequently does not usually spend so much time on base to get such a high number of steals. But Tatis Jr. is the exception. He is currently on the hunt for a record last set by Chuck Klein of the Philadelphia Phillies that dates back to 1932.

As if that weren't enough, he is the fifth-best in the majors in OPS with .996 (the sum of a player's on-base percentage and his slugging percentage. The first statistic measures how often the player reaches first base, and the second calculates how often he gets an extra-base).

Seeking to be the 'Parents' of their division

Led by the extraordinary Fernando Tatis Jr., the San Diego club is in contention to lead one of the most rugged divisions in baseball, the Old Circuit West. Fighting side by side with the San Francisco Giants and reigning champions, the Dodgers, the season is going excellent for the Padres who are 37-27 (through June 10, 2021). Failing to make the postseason as division leaders, the team led by Jayce Tingler has a good chance of sneaking into October's best hunters as a wild card in the National League alongside the Dodgers.

Aside from the San Pedro de Macoris native, the Padres have invested in players of tremendous caliber to be able to compete for something after long in the dark, a team that has never won a World Series title.

Counting on hitters like Jake Cronenworth, Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer; The Californian team has been complemented with pieces such as pitchers Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, and Joe Musgrove, who made the first game without receiving an unstoppable in the history of the franchise on April 9.

The Padres are building a highly competitive roster, with Tatis Jr. at the helm. They are already one of the teams to beat in the Old Circuit, gradually they will become one of the most powerful clubs in baseball. After little more than half a century without seeing the light, with Latino players as icons, the sun is beginning to rise for the Californian team.