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On Thursday afternoon, at Oracle Park, the San Francisco Giants edged out the San Diego Padres 3-2 in the series finale, earning a split in the four-game series. During the last matchup, there came a moment where Fernando Tatis Jr. got a bit too confident that he would have bet on it that he had just put the Padres ahead of the Giants. For now, let’s just say he might never be able to live that moment down.

It all unfolded in the eighth inning when Tatis stepped up against the Giants’ pitcher Randy Rodriguez and absolutely crushed the pitch to deep center field. According to Tatis, he got all of that pitch. It did look like a no-doubter off the bat. In fact, he flipped his bat in the air in excitement, thinking that he just hit a go-ahead two-run homer.

However, little did he know that the wind fought back. It held the ball back in the park. And just like that, Giants’ catcher Jung Hoo Lee caught the ball in the warning track for a straight second out in the inning. Tatis was in pure disbelief for a minute. “He thought he had it. He can’t believe it didn’t go over. He just got Oracle’d,” the announcer said. The size of the stadium had betrayed Tatis.

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To cut him some slack, he had some fair points. The flyout had a 108 mph exit velocity and a launch angle of 23 degrees. And taking a look at Statcast metrics, it showed hard-hit baseballs had a batting average of .988 and 83.8% of the hits that result in home runs. So, it makes sense why he thought that ball was meant to be for the bleachers.

Tatis is currently hitting .268 with 13 home runs, 28 RBIs, and an .816 OPS. This time, the wind at Oracle Park had other plans that helped the Giants stack up a 3-4 win.

Both the Padres and the Giants are now running side by side with 35–26 and 35–28 scores, respectively. However, more than the 3-4 loss for the Padres, it was Tatis’ embarrassing play that grabbed the spotlight.

What’s your perspective on:

Is Fernando Tatis Jr. the most overrated player in MLB, or just unlucky this time?

Have an interesting take?

Fans Roast Tatis Jr. with No Mercy

Fernando Tatis Jr.’s one misjudged bat flip has given MLB fans another chance to roast him and the San Diego Padres. In Tatis’ case, the numbers behind his hit backed him; however, the optics and the controversies attached to him from the past made him an easy target for the fans.

The minute that clip went viral, where Tatis’ embarrassing play was displayed, it made fans recall a pattern with him: “Typical Tatis behavior,” one noted on X. This one wasn’t just about the fly ball and the dramatic bat flip; it was about everything from the past. Back in May, he got hit by a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies. Even that time, it sparked criticism over his carelessness.

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The major controversy attached to him is his 2022 PED suspension. A fan remarked, “Need more PEDs.” It was a straight shot at the credibility Tatis has been working on for a while. Back then, he excused the consumption of a ringworm medication. It fueled fans at that time, and it gave them another chance this time to imply that, without PEDs, he couldn’t play well.

Let’s not forget about the outfield dimensions: “That field is f—— huge,” a fan noted. Well, Oracle Park is a 12.7-acre site. And in Tatis’ defense, the launch angle was 23 degrees. However, even with great angle, velocity, and everything, he couldn’t conquer the massive outfield. Then there was the brutal reality of the weather, too. “Wind probably held it back. He thought he got it.” If you think about it, Tatis’ hit had a .988 expected batting average, and over 83% of similar balls go as home runs. Can’t do much about the weather, though. The wind had other plans.

Some didn’t take a jab at Tatis; they came for the team itself: “Peak Padres behavior.” Is it a pattern? According to fans, they have a recurring pattern of underwhelming execution. Sure, there’d be immense potential in some players, but the Padres seem to fall short in moments like these.

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A single swing can carry a lot of weight. Try pairing it with embarrassing premature celebrations. The roast session isn’t dying anytime soon.

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Is Fernando Tatis Jr. the most overrated player in MLB, or just unlucky this time?

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