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Fernando Tatis Jr.'s hot start to the season has asserted a claim for the "most complete player" in baseball, but one MLB insider has another name in mind for the title.
While the San Diego Padres are reaping the rewards of the outfielder's stellar form this season, one analyst still believes that Bobby Witt Jr. is on a higher level. The reason being that while Tatis Jr. is the complete package when he is in form, the Dominican is not as consistent as Witt Jr.
Tatis made a similarly hot start to his rookie season with the Padres in 2019, but it was cut short when a back injury ended his season. Nonetheless, it earned him a lucrative long-term contract a year later after his first full season with the team. While he remains a core member of the Padres side, Tatis has failed to keep his high standards throughout an entire MLB season over the years.
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MLB insider Jeff Passan appeared on Tuesday's episode of the "Baseball Today" podcast and was asked to give his take on the matter. When asked if Tatis Jr. is the "most complete player" in baseball, Passan replied:
(from 5:45 mark onwards)
"I'm going to say no, and I'm going to say it's Bobby Witt Jr. But Tatis is probably second. I think Witt's a category above.
"Here's the thing, we see these bursts from Fernando Tatis where he looks like the best player in the world, right? We see these stretches where he just gets white hot and carries the team. Witt to me, has to those stretches but also has the consistency that Tatis has not shown at this point," Passan added.
"What we're seeing from Tatis right now is very simple to me, we're seeing the player that San Diego gave 14 years and $340 million to after his first season... I just want to see it over a more consistent period of time before I say he's in the same category as Bobby Witt.
"And I know Bobby Witt's been in the big leagues only a few years at this point so he's got a limited sample as well but he's just been so steady... There's just a lot more in the tank there with Bobby Witt whereas right now we're seeing Fernando Tatis Jr. at his peak," he concluded.
Bobby Witt Jr. has not had a particularly hot start to the MLB season, but is still putting up numbers that only a prime Fernando Tatis Jr. could achieve. While the Kansas City Royals continue to struggle in the AL Central, Witt Jr. remains their best player by far.
Fernando Tatis Jr. confirms plans to represent his country in World Baseball Classic
Fernando Tatis Jr. has confirmed that he will play for the Dominican Republic in the upcoming World Baseball Classic in 2026. In a recent statement, the Padres star said via The Athletic's Dennis Lin:
“Representing my country, playing right next to my Dominican fellows is something that I cherish, something that I always wanted as a kid. Definitely looking forward to it.”
Tatis Jr. missed the tournament last time around after a failed drug test at the end of the 2022 season saw him ruled out of the start of the 2023 MLB season. However, he is now set to follow in his father's footsteps, who represented the Dominican national team in the 2009 WBC.
