NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. is one of the most talented players in MLB and his home run drought was almost as incredible as his play on the field.
Tatis probably doesn’t think so, but having 207 at-bats without a dinger, at his caliber, was something to behold. With every pitch he saw, fans never knew which pitch might be thrown into the seats. It finally happened Saturday against the Washington Nationals.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres hits a home run in the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals in Washington on May 30, 2026. (Daniel Kucin Jr./AP)
The Padres second baseman launched a solo homer against Nationals starter Foster Griffin 451 feet. He finished the day 2-for-5 with an RBI.
“I knew it right away,” he said. “It’s about time.”
Tatis’ 55-game home run streak to start the season was the second-longest streak of 40 or more home runs in a single season, only behind Boston Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski’s 57 consecutive games in 1972, according to MLB.com.
He received a cheerful reception after rounding the bases and returning to the dugout. It was his first home run since September 27 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres celebrates after hitting a home run in the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals in Washington on May 30, 2026. (Daniel Kucin Jr./AP)
“There’s no days off here, man,” Tatis said. “This game will find a way to punish you again.”
Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts thought Tatis would sleep better now.
“I bet he’ll sleep a little better tonight knowing he has a little ‘one’ on his numbers. He has a lot of those in his career, but this is different,” he said. “Everyone knows what the problem is here. Everyone knows they don’t have anything, so I think getting rid of that kind of pressure is good.”
Washington, however, cruised to a 9-4 victory.
Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run in the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals in Washington on May 30, 2026. (Daniel Kucin Jr./AP)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PK Press Club APP
The three-time All-Star is hitting .271 with a .670 OPS, six doubles, a triple and a home run.
