In 2020 Fernando Tatis Jr. finished 4th in the MVP balloting, led the Padres to their first playoff series win in 22 years, won a Silver Slugger award and was named to the All-MLB 1st team. That’s one heck of a season.
Amazingly, Tatis Jr. might be having an even better off-season.
On Monday the Padres shortstop officially became the cover model for MLB The Show 2021. This is basically the equivalent of getting the cover for the Madden NFL video game franchise: only the best of the best earn the honor.
Tatis Jr. is the first Padre to grace the cover and, at the age of 22, the youngest player to do it since 2006. That first went to Red Sox slugger David Ortiz. Since then the likes of Ken Griffey Jr., Bryce Harper, David Wright and Aaron Judge have been on the cover of MLB The Show.
This is the latest in a string of accolades for Tatis Jr. He was also named the #1 card in the latest Topps trading card set, a spot that has gone to baseball luminaries like Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Nolan Ryan and Mike Trout.
Earlier in the off-season he became just the third baseball player in the last two decades to receive a national Gatorade endorsement deal. The other two are Derek Jeter and Bryce Harper.
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MLB The Show will be available on April 20 on PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles. On the latest OnFriar Podcast, NBC 7's Derek Togerson and Darnay Tripp predicted who would lead the Padres in major statistical categories in 2021 and, yes, Tatis Jr. was the favorite for a few of them.
LISTEN: With NBC 7 San Diego's Darnay Tripp and Derek Togerson behind the mic, On Friar will cover all things San Diego Padres. Interviews, analysis, behind-the-scenes...the ups, downs, and everything in between. Tap here to find On Friar wherever you listen to podcasts.
