Fernando Tatís Jr.
A generational talent whose audacious style and prodigious power at the plate redefined what's possible for a young shortstop, when healthy.
Born 1999 (age 27)·Dominican baseball player·Birthday: January 2·Generation Z
Biography
Fernando Tatís Jr. didn't just arrive in Major League Baseball; he exploded onto it with a style so flamboyant and talent so immense that he immediately became must-see television. The son of a former big leaguer, Tatís signed with the San Diego Padres as a teenager and rocketed through the minors, bringing with him a rare combination of elite power, speed, and defensive flair at the demanding shortstop position. His early career was a highlight reel of no-doubt home runs, stolen bases with a casual smirk, and defensive plays made with a showman's grace. In 2021, he signed a landmark 14-year, $340 million contract, a bet on his once-in-a-generation potential. His path, however, has been interrupted by injuries and an 80-game suspension for a performance-enhancing drug violation in 2022. The setbacks have only heightened the intrigue around his story. When on the field, Tatís plays with an unapologetic joy and confidence that has drawn comparisons to MLB greats and has fundamentally shifted expectations for what a young superstar can be.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Fernando was born in 1999, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Fernando Was Born
The biggest hits of 1999
#1 Movie
Star Wars: Episode I
Best Picture
American Beauty
#1 TV Show
ER
Fernando's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1999Born
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2004Started school
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2012Became a teenager
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2015Could drive
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2017Could vote
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2020Turned 21
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 27 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Signed one of the largest contracts in North American sports history: a 14-year, $340 million extension with the San Diego Padres in 2021.
- Became the youngest player in MLB history to hit two grand slams in one inning, achieving the feat in 2020 against the Texas Rangers.
- Won the Silver Slugger Award and a Platinum Glove Award in 2021, recognizing him as the best overall defender in the National League.
- Finished third in National League MVP voting in 2021 after leading the NL in home runs (42) despite playing only 130 games.
Did You Know?
He and his father, Fernando Tatís Sr., are the only father-son duo in MLB history to each hit two grand slams in a single game.
Tatís is an avid motorcycle rider, a hobby the Padres initially asked him to curb due to injury risk.
He wears jersey number 23 as a tribute to his father, who also wore 23 during his MLB career.
After his suspension in 2022, he successfully transitioned to playing right field for the Padres upon his return, winning a Platinum Glove at the new position.
“You can't play this game scared; you have to have fun.”
