The San Diego Padres have a date in Los Angeles for the NLDS.

For the third time in the last five seasons, the Padres will face the Dodgers in a best-of-five series, with a trip to the National League Championship Series on the line.

As it stands, the playoff head-to-head matchup is tied at one apiece.

The Dodgers swept the Padres in the 2020 NLDS. The Friars avenged themselves two years later in what is arguably the most electric series in Padres history when they downed L.A. on a rainy night at Petco Park to advance to the NLCS.

There is a massive difference between this year’s playoff run and the magic-filled run in 2022. The Padres have a red-hot Fernando Tatis Jr. batting second in the lineup.

Tatis’ first postseason contest since 2020 was Game 1 of the 2024 National League Wild Card Series, and it was his first with fans in attendance. In his first at-bat, he jumped on a first-pitch fastball from AJ Smith-Shawver, sending it 415 feet into the second deck for a two-run homer. That gave the Padres a quick and early 2-0 lead in the first inning.

FERNANDO TATIS JR. HITS THE FIRST HOME RUN OF THE 2024 #POSTSEASON ? pic.twitter.com/XFqQ06zWTT

— MLB (@MLB) October 2, 2024

The Petco Park crowd unleashed a thunderous roar as he crossed home plate. He finished his night going 1-for-3, picking up two RBIs and a walk. Tatis spoke to the media postgame, and was asked about his feelings on once again playing in the postseason.

“It’s just very rewarding,” Tatis said. “It’s one of the most beautiful sights the game can bring to a baseball player. Just making the crowd go crazy is what you dream of as a kid. Hitting a home run in a clutch spot in the postseason is definitely what you work for and those are memories you’ll take with you forever.”

As San Diego faced Braves’ ace Max Fried in Game 2, Tatis delivered more electricity, going 3-for-3 at the plate with a walk. His elite speed and base running were also on full display, showing how much of a difference-maker he still is in the game.

In the two-game sweep, three of his four hits registered at an exit velocity of 99.8 miles per hour or higher. Tatis is driving the ball with authority and using all parts of the field when doing so.

Hitting behind Luis Arraez is a revelation for his game as well. A deadly combination of elite contact-hitting in the leadoff spot, followed by Tatis’ explosive power at the plate, is something any big league lineup covets. His plate discipline also looks tremendously better. Pitchers are attacking him inside and tight on his hands throughout his at-bats, just to throw him a breaking ball outside to get him to chase after it. He seems more conscious of that.

In eight career postseason games, Fernando Tatis Jr. is now slashing .393/.514/.786 with five XBH and seven RBIs.

When asked about the rematch against Los Angeles, “ We’re coming. They know we’re coming, and we’re gonna play some great baseball,” Tatis said.

San Diego wants LA ? pic.twitter.com/EO8XMSXt5A

— MLB (@MLB) October 3, 2024

There is no denying that the postseason spotlight was tailor-made for him.

In the 2020 National League Wild Card Series, the Padres would face a then Mike Shildt-led St. Louis Cardinals team. Tatis hit a pair of monstrous home runs in Game 2 that propelled the Friars past the Cardinals. The monumental performance gave us his iconic bat flip. He and Wil Myers became only the second pair of teammates to each hit multiple home runs in the same postseason game since Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series.

There is no doubt as to how talented or impactful Tatis can be on the diamond. It has just been a matter of health and self-responsibility.

In 2022, he infamously missed the first half of the regular season with a wrist fracture sustained in an off-season motorcycle accident. It only got worse when he tested positive for clostebol, a prohibited steroid, right before making his return from injury. The fiasco would result in an 80-game suspension, therefore missing the 2022 postseason in a year where the Padres traded for an abundance of talent, most notably Juan Soto.

The public support from late Padres’ owner Peter Seidler, was one of reassurance and faith in his superstar player. In a sit-down interview with ESPN, “Fernando owned it. He felt bad because he knew he let people down. And when we started talking, he loosened up at some points. We talked about how this is a big one, but people bounce back from these things,” Seidler said.

What Tatis Jr. has experienced in the last three seasons is a lot. However, he is better for it. The Dominican Republic native has turned into a platinum-glove right-fielder with an offensive prowess only a few in baseball possess. The superstar is also a leader.

The emergence of rookie center-fielder Jackson Merrill helped shape Tatis into a mentor to the next wave of young talent in the Padres’ system. Tatis also has a new-found understanding and appreciation for the game. It’s evident in the way he plays and the bond he has with his teammates. Over the past six months, the word ‘brotherhood’ has been a reinforced term for this year’s team.

As the Padres head up the I-5 North to Chavez Ravine, Tatis enters the 2024 National League Division Series a lifetime .268 hitter with 19 homers, 38 RBIs, and 40 runs scored in 61 games against the Dodgers. A red-hot Tatis along with Machado, Arraez, and Merrill could go a long way in giving the Friars an opportunity to play for their first World Series appearance since 1998.

Armando Dueñas Jr.

Armando Duenas is a 24 year-old aspiring journalist. He is a native San Diegan who grew up in the South Bay area. A lifelong Padres fan and baseball enthusiast, he resides just about fifteen minutes from PETCO Park, where his love of the game began.