On his last swing of a morning batting practice session, Fernando Tatis Jr.’s easy stroke — seemingly little more than a wrist flick, really — sent a ball sailing the other way and over the fence in right-center field.

The Padres’ future smiled wide, strutted onto the grass and playfully spun his bat into the air.

It was far from the bat flip heard around the world.


But then this was far from a walk-off home run in a Dominican League postseason game, as Tatis blasted on Jan. 10 for his hometown Estrellas Orientales of the Dominican Winter League.

Wednesday’s theatrics, witnessed by just a dozen or so players, coaches and members of the front office, were merely another small glimpse into how Tatis’ rare gifts and pure joy seem on a trajectory to make the Padres and their fans feel similarly giddy for years to come.

And it was the 20-year-old shortstop putting into practice what he had an hour earlier said he would.

“I come here to play baseball, do what I know how to do and have fun, as always,” Tatis said when asked about his thoughts at the start of his second major league camp.


Wednesday was the official report day for pitchers and catchers, but Tatis is one of several position players already at the Peoria Sports Complex. And aside from the possible signing of a big-name free agent like Manny Machado, there will be no bigger storyline for the Padres this spring than the advancement of Tatis, roundly considered to be among the top three prospects in baseball.

It is all but a guarantee Tatis will be in the majors this season. The only question is whether his promotion comes at the end of March, around April 12 or more toward June.

“It’s a little different,” Tatis said of this spring in comparison to a year ago. “There’s a reality now. There’s a chance it might happen. I’m just working hard for it.”


Tatis, the second-youngest player in any major league camp in 2018, hit .281/.343/.469 with three doubles, a home run and 12 strikeouts in 35 plate appearances last spring. The home run came in his second at-bat.

He began the season in Double-A and after hitting .177/.231/.333 in his first 24 games, he batted .327/.400/.572 over the next 64 games before his season was ended July 19 by an avulsion fracture in his left thumb suffered as he slid into second base on a steal attempt.

Missing the final month-and-a-half of the season was not part of the development arc the Padres had planned for the player they expect will be their cornerstone for at least the next six or seven years. But on a team managed by his father, Tatis helped Estrellas win its first Dominican title in 51 years in a league featuring many current and former major leaguers, and he gained experience the minor leagues couldn’t provide.

“It did a lot,” Tatis said of his winter experience. “I grew up as a man, as a baseball player too. It was fun. Winning a championship for my hometown was fun. It was very special. … Over there I was the youngest kid, as usual. But every time is a new experience. There was different time with different players. It was very fun.”


After hitting .263/.379/.488 with three home runs in 95 plate appearances for Estrellas, Tatis took a couple weeks for beach time and family time before arriving in Peoria in the middle of last week.

It is likely that even if his bat literally catches fire and he hits home runs that tear actual holes in the Arizona sky, Tatis will begin his season in Triple-A. Following in the steps of projected can’t-miss prospects like Kris Bryant and Nolan Arenado, Tatis almost certainly will spend 15 days in the minors at the start of the season so as to preserve an extra year of control (and potentially tens of millions of dollars) for the Padres.

The Padres are going to work second baseman Luis Urias extensively at shortstop this spring with the idea of him filling in there until Tatis makes his debut.

It is possible, though less likely, the Padres could wait 50 or 60 days into the season in an attempt to keep Tatis from earning an extra year of arbitration eligibility.


Officially, Padres manager Andy Green was posing no limits Wednesday.

“He’s one of 69 guys in camp,” Green said. “… At some point in time we expect to take Fernando Tatis. At the end of every camp there is a surprise. He’s got every opportunity to force our hand by the way he plays. That doesn’t just go for him. That goes for every other guy sitting in there.”

kevin.acee@sduniontribune.com