sports
Padres outfielder hits first home run of season in 239th plate appearance
Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a 451-foot home run on May 30 at Nationals Park. The blast ended a power drought that had lasted 56 games.
May 30, 6:55 PM·1m read4 sources
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San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his first home run of the 2026 season on Saturday afternoon at Nationals Park. The 451-foot drive came against Washington Nationals left-hander Foster Griffin on a 91 mph fastball. Tatis pulled the ball to left field and raised his arms as he left the batter's box.
Season statistics Tatis entered the game with a .268/.345/.307 batting line.
He had averaged 24 home runs per season from 2022 through 2025. His first homer of 2026 arrived in his 239th plate appearance, the most among qualified hitters without a home run at that point.
Pull rate and power trends Tatis has pulled the ball in the air 6.9 percent of the time this season, the third-lowest rate among qualified hitters. The major-league average stands at 16.8 percent. He ranks among MLB leaders in hard-hit rate and 90th-percentile exit velocity despite the lack of home runs.
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