The MLB universe felt an earthquake on Wednesday night after young star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and the San Diego Padres agreed to a massive contract extension worth $340 million which will keep him under contract for the next 14 seasons.
Tatis Jr. broke onto the scene in the second half of the 2019 season, establishing himself as one of the top young talents in the game. His 2020 season, while abbreviated by the COVID-19 pandemic, was even more impressive.
The 22-year-old star batted .277 with 17 home runs and 59 games, compiling 45 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. He finished in fourth place in National League MVP voting and led the Padres to their first playoff berth in over a decade.
Tatis Jr.’s accomplishments are almost unprecedented at such a young age, and so is his shiny new contract extension. It is the third-most valuable in the history of Major League Baseball, surpassed only by Mike Trout’s current deal with the Los Angeles Angels and Mookie Betts’s deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers that he signed last year.
The Dominican shortstop is set to be one of the leaders of a Padres team that looks poised to compete for championships both now and in the future.
After signing his new whopping contract, Tatis Jr. is now expected to report to Padres Spring Training next week.
