Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr.'s custom Jordan 1 cleats turn heads in Winter League debut

Fernando Tatis Jr. is a star for the San Diego Padres in the MLB but is currently tearing it up in the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League. Tatis plays for the Estrellas Orientales and recently wore a custom pair of Jordan 1 cleats that got a lot of attention.

Cut4 of MLB.com shared a photo of the sneakers from Tatis' Orientales debut against Toros Del Este on X, along with the caption:

"Fernando Tatis Jr.'s custom Jordan 1 cleats for the Dominican Winter League go way too hard 💯."

Fernando Tatis is no stranger to custom Jordan cleats, having worn them on many occasions, including a pair inspired by the late Kobe Bryant.

With the MLB in the offseason, Tatis is playing for his father, Fernando Tatis Sr., who is the Orientales' manager. Interestingly, he last played for the team in 2018-19, when the Orientales won the LIDOM championship.

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Fernando Tatis Jr. will have to step up for the Padres in 2024

San Diego Padres fans are doubtless pessimistic about the 2024 season after trading Juan Soto to the New York Yankees. The Padres went 82-80 last season, which wasn't enough to make the postseason, and do look weaker for losing Soto.

While their hands were somewhat tied in that situation, the seven-player trade did see the Padres gain Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy Vasquez, Drew Thorpe and Kyle Higashioka (Juan Soto and Trent Grisham went to the Yankees). This means they have some more pieces for future deals and are currently being tentatively linked to Randy Arozarena.

Fernando Tatis is a player of many talents, and while he has shown a proclivity for errors in the past, the 24-year-old could develop into a truly unique talent. However, fans are doubtless concerned that Tatis could get injured while playing abroad, but he could gain confidence and form, which would be hugely beneficial in 2024.

"Fernando Tatis Jr. wreaked havoc on the base paths last night in the Dominican Winter Ball League. Let’s go, @fernando_tatis21!" a fan wrote on Instagram.

Tatis will need to be at his best to help push the Padres into the playoffs next year, as the competition looks fierce with some big teams reloading their rosters.