Fernando Tatis Jr. is about to play in his sixth MLB season. After an illustrious first half of his young career, Tatis Jr. has changed his swing to return to his old MVP form.

The numbers are simple. Tatis Jr. played baseball on a different level before the wrist injury/80-game PED suspension in 2022.

Between 2019 and 2021, Tatis Jr. popped 81 home runs (.292/.369/.596) in 273 games.

Since returning to the Padres in 2023, he has connected on just 46 home runs (.265/.329/.467) in 243 games.

After a solid yet underwhelming 2024 season (21 HR, .276/.340/.492) in which Tatis Jr. missed 60 games sidelined with a leg injury, the 26-year-old arrived at Spring Training with a new look in the batter’s box; the right-hander has ditched his iconic high leg kick, exhibits less bat movement for rhythm before his load, and finishes with two hands at all times.

Fernando Tatis Jr. hits a homer against Nick Pivetta. pic.twitter.com/Ccl8qUsOXP

— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) February 26, 2025

Now compare the behavior at the plate, specifically the exclusion of a leg kick and addition of a two hand finish, with his first hit of the 2024 season in South Korea.

Don't blink

Fernando Tatis Jr. smokes a 116.7 mph single. pic.twitter.com/aLkSfCKWjk

— MLB (@MLB) March 21, 2024

Throughout his career, Tatis Jr. has made small adjustments and moderations to his swing, but usually in short stints to accommodate his injury concerns. For example, while playing through relentless left shoulder supplications in 2021, the then 22-year-old swung with two hands from May through the rest of the season.

No. 50 deserves a flip.#HungryForMore @tatis_jr pic.twitter.com/qpalKkuTjR

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 22, 2021

However, Tatis. Jr returned to a one-handed finish once he returned to MLB after a successful shoulder surgery during his suspension in 2022.

Fernando Tatis Jr.'s first Triple-A home run!@Padres | @epchihuahuas pic.twitter.com/9XquSdqq6Y

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) April 6, 2023

While there is nothing wrong with finishing with one hand, it does come with the risk of pulling off the baseball.

The entire league knows one of Tatis Jr.’s kryptonite is the low and outside right-on-right slider, which opens up his front side. In other words, his barrel is in and out of the zone too quickly on the soft stuff away. While any given hitter like Tatis Jr. can get away with a one-handed finish on certain pitches, breaking balls from same-sided pitching on the outer half expose holes in a swing.

With a strong and healthy left shoulder, it appears that Tatis Jr.’s new two-handed approach is not injury related but intentional to force himself to keep his front side and barrel engaged with the ball, on any given pitch and location, for longer periods of time.

Fernando Tatis Jr. nearly drives this ball into the camera well beyond the center field fence #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/W3PZaecNrg

— MLB (@MLB) March 10, 2025

In a small and overall insignificant spring sample size, Tatis Jr.’s new swing has already paid dividends. In seven Spring Training games, he is 4-for-13 with a double and home run.

The Padres need the pre-suspension El Niño at the plate to be competitive in 2025. Perhaps the star is just a few adjustments away from becoming his old self again.

Max Schwartzberg

A San Diegan born and raised, Max Schwartzberg is a diehard Padres fan who created and hosts the YouTube channel Padres Previews, a hub where he passionately delivers Padres news, updates, reactions, and hype videos. At Northeastern, Max broadcasts and writes for baseball, basketball, and hockey. Max dreams of following in the steps of Padres broadcaster and Northeastern alumnus Don Orsillo to become a Major League Baseball announcer.