After being left off manny of the postseason awards lists to this point in the offseason, the San Diego Padres finally had one of their big names recognized by the sport. Fernando Tatis Jr. was named a Silver Slugger Award finalist as an outfielder and as a utility player due to his splits between the outfield and second base in 2026. He was the only Padres player to receive a nomination for the award.
Tatis started the season in a power slump, which was the source of much consternation among the Friar
Faithful and baseball. The direct reason was never fully explained, but it was obvious that he was trying different things with his stands and hand placement that may have been the cause. Although he was hitting the ball out of the yard he was getting hits it just looked much different than what San Diego fans have come to expect from the superstar.
Tatis was snubbed in the Gold Glove Awards this season after being the best defender in the game in 2023 and 2025. The belief is that his movement between right field and second base was the cause, however he was not even nominated for the Gold Glove as a utility. It is a bit ironic that he has been nominated for the Silver Slugger as an outfielder and utility player because of that fact.
Tatis finished the 2026 season with an average of .289 with 181 hits and 25 home runs. He also 83 RBI and scored 96 runs. Will he be recognized a Silver Slugger winner? The Friar Faithful and the rest of baseball will find out when winners are announced on Nov. 17.
You can see a list of
Padres News:
- Ethan Salas did not explode onto the scene when he finally made his debut with the Padres, but he did make some key contributions. What grade did he get for those efforts from Lincoln Zdunich of Gaslamp Ball?
- Ty France had a resurgent 2026 with the Padres and has put himself inline for a multi-year contract and a significant pay raise.
Baseball News:
- Here is how the top free agent starters are ranked according to MLB.com.
- All the latest free-agent rumors from MLB.com can be found here.
