The Padres’ Best Bats Are Turning it On at the Right Time
As the San Diego Padres surge up the National League standings, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill have returned to their superstar form.
There are plenty of ways to describe how disappointing both Jackson Merrill’s and Fernando Tatis Jr.’s seasons were through the first half of the season.
Respectively, Merrill posted a .628 OPS, while Tatis’s was slightly higher at .713.
For Merrill, the approach was not doing him any favors. Through June, he had a strikeout rate of 25%, a near-35% chase rate, and a whiff rate of 28%. He struggled with four-seamers in this span, batting .206 against the pitch. There may have been some underlying mechanical flaws, too, as he constantly struggled with pitches up in the zone.
As for Tatis, the lack of power was extremely apparent, becoming a frequent topic of discussion around the league. He was making consistent hard contact, ranking in the upper 90th percentile in hard-hit rate and average exit velocity, but wasn’t creating launch. It would famously take Tatis 55 games to hit his first home run of the season.
The story of the second half is miles different.
Both stars have been firing on all cylinders and have played a major role in the San Diego Padres’ resurgence. Merrill has looked far more comfortable at the plate, while Tatis has rediscovered the power that made him one of baseball’s most dangerous hitters.
Let’s dive into each player and examine what’s been working for them.
Merrill’s Turnaround
As mentioned, Merrill was chasing at one of the highest rates in baseball. And in watching his at-bats, he looked indecisive and, at times, was attempting to overcorrect mid-at-bat. This, however, isn’t Merrill’s play style. He’s a gamer.
According to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, after going 0-for-4 against the Kansas City Royals on July 9, Merrill watched his old high school highlights and adopted a “screw it” mentality. Merrill has now stopped worrying about chasing and reverted to a carefree, aggressive approach.
Since the start of the second half, Merrill is hitting .343 with a 1.032 OPS and nine home runs. Those nine home runs are second in all of Major League Baseball in that span.
Along with the heater he is on, he is back to crushing four-seamers, batting .400 with an average exit velocity of 97 mph in August.
Aggressiveness is always going to be a part of Merrill’s game, and many, myself included, thought that it was holding him back. Turns out, it was the complete opposite. He’s now back to playing with flair and competing in the box. This is the player that Padres fans fell in love with in 2024.
Tatis Is Returning To Form
There were things to point to regarding Tatis’s lack of power at the plate, largely stemming from his stance in the box and load sequencing.
He started the season with a near-neutral stance and loading by closing his front shoulder. This led to a disconnected swing. He has now opted for an open stance and initiating with his back hip while holding tension in his backside, creating better separation and cleaner energy transfer.
Along with these mechanical changes, there has been a drastic increase in bat speed, jumping two mph since June. The results have been everything Padres fans expect from their star.
Since the break, Tatis is batting .295 with a 1.002 OPS, adding seven home runs with more walks (16) than strikeouts (13) in that span.
The quality of contact remains intact, with a 52.8% hard-hit rate and an average exit velocity of 92.4 mph. Now, finally, combining these metrics with a season-high 54% pull rate in August, Tatis is right where he needs to be.
Final Thoughts
The turnaround of Merrill and Tatis is a prime example of why patience matters. Was it frustrating watching them for the majority of the season? Absolutely. But it felt like only a matter of time before things began to click, and it’s a thing of beauty watching it happen.
With both now playing at a star level, the Padres are becoming a serious playoff team. They currently hold sole possession of the second Wild Card spot, are 15-4 across their last 19 games, and just swept the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in three games at home.
If Tatis and Merrill continue to play like this, San Diego will become a team nobody will want to face in October.
Not that they need the advice, but Merrill should never go back to overthinking at the plate. He should trust his instincts. As for Tatis, please never ditch the leg kick.
It’s going to be a fun rest of the way for this duo and for Padres baseball.
Become a Member of Just Baseball
Subscribe and upgrade to go ad-free!
* Save 25% by subscribing annually.
Written by
Ethan is an aspiring sports analyst who has a passion for all sports. He was a collegiate baseball player and is a recent San Diego State…