Stealing home is one of the hardest things to do in baseball. But no one told Fernando Tatís Jr. that.
The Dominican right fielder pulled off the rare feat during a 5-2 San Diego Padres win on August 16th, and it’s hard to tell who was more surprised – the announcer, the opposing pitcher, or the fans who got to witness it. And the most amazing part about the feat is how easy Tatís Jr. made it look.
Stolen bases are already a matter of timing and speed when the pitcher is not facing you, but stealing home requires both those things and a special brand of awareness. The pitcher and catcher have the upper hand, after all. If they notice you running, you’re out. And since you’re running straight at the catcher, it’s hard for them not to.
Tatís Jr. however, jogs halfway to home before honing in on the fact that Cionel Pèrez is not paying attention to him. Then he turns on the speed and steals home.
In a way, it’s like Tatís Jr. stole a run from the Orioles and Pérez. He, after all, stole second base earlier in the inning and advanced to third on a throwing error from the Orioles pitcher. Then, he went for home.
“The pitcher was taking his time, trying to make a pitch and I just took advantage of the situation,” Tatís Jr. said in a post-game interview with Sammy Levitt, the Padres Radio Host. It was his first straight steal of home and just the fourth in the major leagues this season.
For the Padres right fielder the focus on his baseball skills is a welcome change. He’s always been an immense talent, but his career has been marred by his PED suspension last season, which saw him also miss 80 games in total, including the first 20 of the 2023 season.
Now, Fernando Tatís Jr. seems to be focusing on proving what he can do when he is clean and locked in. And opposing pitchers might need to pay more attention.