"Why not go to a statue contract? People are saying, 'Oh, too many years.' But I just love what I'm seeing, what we're going to do. I want that statue on one team. I want to stay on one team and build my legacy over here in San Diego."
Fernando Tatis Jr. will have the chance to do exactly that – build a legacy – after signing an eye-popping 14-year, $340million contract with the San Diego Padres.
The Padres – winners of two National League pennants – are pinning their hopes on MLB's new poster boy delivering a first World Series to San Diego.
Not only is Tatis' deal the longest contract in MLB history, but also the largest contract awarded to a player not yet eligible for arbitration after he won a Silver Slugger award, having hit .277 with 17 home runs and 45 RBIs in the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season.
Tatis joins an exclusive club. The powerful 22-year-old shortstop's contract is the third largest in league history, only behind Mike Trout's 12-year, $426.5m extension with the Los Angeles Angels and Mookie Betts' $365m deal over 12 years with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"I'm just the same kid on the field. Nothing's going to change," Tatis said. "I'm playing the game I love. And I feel when you do the things with passion and with love, I feel like it's going to reward you. And I feel like when people ask me how I'm going to play this game, I'm just going to be the same kid every single time."
As Tatis and the Padres embark on an historic partnership, we take a look at the numbers behind the generational superstar using Stats Perform data.
Padres have struck (stolen) gold – just ask the White Sox
If you want to talk about steals, look no further than the James Shields trade in June 2016.
The Padres gave up Shields – who had signed the richest free-agent contract in franchise history the two offseasons prior – acquiring a pair of Minor Leaguers from the Chicago White Sox in return.
A certain 17-year-old Tatis was among them. The Dominican – son of former third baseman Fernando Tatis, who spent some 13 years in the majors – was unranked as a prospect in nearly every publication.
"He's got the big-league pedigree," Padres general manager A.J. Preller said at the time, with San Diego also sending a significant amount of cash to the White Sox to pay for part of Shields' contract. "He's a very intelligent kid, he's got good feel for the game. He's a shortstop, and he's a bigger-bodied player that's a pretty good athlete."
A pretty good athlete? Safe to say Preller and the Padres got it right.
In his debut season with the Padres in 2019, Tatis tallied 61 runs, 22 homers and 53 RBIs after hitting .317 in 84 games.
Tatis became the youngest Padres player to debut on Opening Day (20 years and 85 days), while he managed the most homers (22) by any MLB shortstop before turning 21.
He really took baseball by storm in 2020. Tatis became the fastest player in Padres history (24 team games) to reach the double-digit home run mark after hitting his 10th and 11th homers of the season in August.
In the postseason, Tatis homered twice against the St Louis Cardinals in October, becoming the youngest Padre to ever homer in a playoff game (21 years and 273 days) and the third-youngest player in MLB history to homer twice in a postseason match, behind Carlos Correa (21 and 20 days old) and Andruw Jones (19 years, 180 days old)
Tatis also finished fourth in the National League (NL) MVP race last season as the Padres returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
"I love this city," Tatis said. "I love the fans. I love the culture. I love the vibe. And I'm all about winning, and I'm all about winning in San Diego."
He is the first player in MLB history to have at least 35 home runs and 25 stolen bases within the first 150 games of his career.
Tatis packs a punch with the bat – he led the majors in average exit velocity (95.9 mph), hard hit percentage (62.2), and balls hit 95-plus MPH (102).
He also enjoyed a remarkable rise defensively following an erratic rookie season at shortstop.
Tatis went from minus-13 outs above average (OAA) to plus-seven – his plus-20 improvement the largest of any player across that period.
When it comes to on-base plus slugging, Tatis stacks up well. Since 1920, Tatis (150.8) is only behind Juan Soto (153.9 – 2018-20), Albert Pujols (159.3 – 2001), Jimmie Foxx (160.0 – 1925-29), Ted Williams (161.5 – 1939-40) and Trout (165.0 – 2011-13) for highest OPS-plus up until the age of 21.
Using the same timeframe, but for wins above replacement (WAR) among shortstops, Tatis (5.6) ranks ninth. Alex Rodriguez is top (13.6 – 1994-97).
Future Hall of Famer?
Tatis has only played 143 games – less than the equivalent of one season in MLB – but he is putting up serious numbers.
Derek Jeter and Cal Ripken Jr. are two standout names to have made the shortstop position their own. Both are Hall of Famers.
Tatis has said he aspires to become "the Dominican Derek Jeter".
Jeter spent his entire 19-year career with the New York Yankees, winning five World Series titles, as many Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards, plus 14 All-Star honours.
"I was already thinking about that since I got to the big leagues," Tatis said of one-team player Jeter. "In my dreams, the players I admire the most, they stay on one team, they build a culture, and they become winners with that team. I'm over here trying to do the same."
Tatis is on track to emulate, and potentially even exceed Jeter.
Comparing the pair through 143 games, Tatis tops Jeter when it comes to homers (39 to eight), runs (111 to 80), RBIs (98 to 63), hits (168 to 154), triples (eight to five), stolen bases (27 to 10), walks (57 to 46), slugging percentage (.582 to .414) and on-base percentage (.956 to .774).
It is a similar story with World Series winner, 19-time All-Star and two-time American League (AL) MVP Ripken.
Through the same amount of games, Tatis sits ahead of Ripken in all the above categories: homers (19) runs (62), RBIs (65), hits (124), triples (four) stolen bases (two), walks (32), slugging percentage (.439) and on-base percentage (.738).
At the end of this mammoth deal, Tatis will be 36. By that time, he would have spent 16 years in San Diego – a tenure matching Trevor Hoffman for second place in franchise history, only adrift of Tony Gwynn's 20 years.
Like Jeter and Ripkin, Gwynn did not enjoy a Tatis-like start to his career after 143 appearances: he stood at two homers, 70 runs, 56 RBIs, 152 hits, four triples, 15 stolen bases, 39 walks, a slugging percentage of .378 and .727 in terms of on-base percentage.
Everything points to a place among the greats at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum for Tatis.
"He's got a chance to set his mark by winning World Series," said Padres manager Jayce Tingler. "It starts with one, and then you build on that."
MLB: Acuna hits 40th home run to join exclusive 40-40 club in Braves' win
Ronald Acuna Jr. joined an exclusive club with his 40th homer of the season and the Atlanta Braves defeated the Washington Nationals 9-6 on Friday.
Acuna’s 40th home run came off starter Patrick Corbin in the first inning for the 34th leadoff homer of his career and eighth this season.
He joins Alphonso Soriano (2006), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Barry Bonds (1996) and Jose Canseco (1988) as the only players with 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in a single season.
The Atlanta superstar has hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games, with eight homers and 15 RBIs during that span.
Braves starter Charlie Morton walked the two batters in the first inning and left due to right index finger discomfort after throwing 24 pitches.
He will have an MRI on Saturday but hopes to be ready for the postseason.
Austin Riley hit a two-run homer and Marcell Ozuna added a three-run shot to increase the Braves’ major league-leading home run total to 296.
Twins hold off Angels to clinch AL Central
The Minnesota Twins clinched their third AL Central title in five seasons with an 8-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
Alex Kirillof homered and Pablo Lopez pitched six strong innings as Minnesota held on in the ninth for their 82nd win, assuring it of being a division champion with an over .500 record.
The Twins locked up their 15th trip to the postseason since the Washington Senators moved to Minnesota in 1961 and became the Twins.
The Twins have lost 18 straight playoff games since their last win in 2004.
Judge hits 3 home runs in Yankees’ win
Aaron Judge became the first Yankees player to hit three home runs in a game twice in one season in a 7-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Judge hit a three-run homer in the third, a two-run shot in the fifth inning off starter Brandon Pfaadt and went deep again in the seventh off Slade Cecconi.
Judge, who had his first career three-homer game against Washington on August 23, is the sixth player in franchise history with multiple three-home run games.
The others are Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Alex Rodriguez, Tony Lazzeri and Bobby Murcer.
'The numbers don't lie' – Djokovic hailed as greatest of all time by Lopez
Novak Djokovic is just one grand slam away from becoming the most decorated player in history and Feliciano Lopez believes "the numbers don't lie" when it comes to debating tennis' greatest.
Serbia's Djokovic equalled Margaret Court's record of 24 grand slam triumphs after defeating Daniil Medvedev in straight sets at the US Open earlier in September.
That made the world number one, aged 36 years and 111 days at the time, the oldest winner of the men's singles title at the US Open.
It was also Djokovic's third major crown of 2023, winning a trio of grand slams in a calendar year for the fourth time in his career,
Davis Cup tournament director Lopez, who had previously hailed Djokovic for featuring at the "unique" competition, suggested no one in history compares with the 36-year-old.
Asked by Stats Perform if Djokovic was the GOAT – greatest of all time – Lopez said: "According to the numbers, yes. The numbers don't lie.
"If you look at the stats, Novak is the best. So, I mean, what can I say?
"I think the numbers are very clear, not only by the fact that he's won 24 slams, but also there are other numbers and other statistics that clearly show he's the best player who ever played the sport.
"According to the numbers, I cannot say anything different."
Djokovic triumphed at the Australian Open, French Open and US Open, only missing out on a clean sweep of the majors after losing the Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz.
As for Djokovic's chances for more major success going forward, Lopez believes the sky is still the limit.
"It's very difficult to predict honestly, but as long as he's feeling physically strong I think it's clear that his will in the last three or four years is to keep winning grand slams," Lopez added.
"If he is able to sustain his physical condition for the next two years, I can fairly say that he can win, I don't know, two, three or four, but it's very difficult to say one number because this year, for example, he could have won all four.
"He won in Australia, he won in Paris, he was very close to winning Wimbledon because of that second-set tie-break, and he just won the US Open.
"You ask me how many grand slams you think he will win in the future when he just won three of them in the same year!
"I don't know, maybe three or four more is fair to say, but it's very difficult to predict."
MLB: Margot's hit in 9th caps rally as Rays edge Angels
Manuel Margot singled to cap a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Tampa Bay Rays to a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday.
Trailing by one entering the ninth, the Rays rallied against Angels closer Carlos Estevez.
Pinch-hitter Harold Ramirez and Yandy Diaz opened the inning with singles and runners were at the corners after Curtis Mead’s fly ball.
Isaac Paredes singled home the tying run and after Randy Arozarena struck out and Josh Lowe walked to load the bases, Margot flared a single to right to win it.
Tampa Bay already holds the top AL wild card and pulled within 1 ½ games of AL East-leading Baltimore after the Orioles’ 5-2 loss in Cleveland.
The late rally kept the Rays from losing consecutive games to the Angels, who stopped a six-game skid with an 8-3 win on Wednesday.
Tampa Bay starter Zach Eflin failed in his bid to become the AL’s first 16-game winner, allowing two runs and six hits in five innings.
Cole sharp as Yankees cool Blue Jays
Gerrit Cole boosted his Cy Young Award resume with eight stellar innings and the New York Yankees snapped the Toronto Blue Jays’ five-game winning streak, 5-3.
Cole retired the first 16 batters and allowed a run and two hits in his longest start since pitching a two-hit shutout against Minnesota on April 16.
He struck out nine without a walk and lowered his AL-best ERA to 2.75.
Jake Bauers gave Cole all the offense he needed with a three-run homer in the first inning.
Toronto is one-half game ahead of Texas and Seattle for the second of three AL wild-card spots.
Acuna, Olson power Braves
Matt Olson hit his major league-leading 53rd home run and Ozzie Albies homered for one of his four hits as the Atlanta Braves rolled to a 10-3 win over the Washington Nationals.
Atlanta totalled 18 hits with every member of the lineup reaching base at least once.
The Braves need only two wins in their final nine games to reach 100 wins for the second straight season.
Olson’s solo homer in the eighth inning gave him 132 RBIs, matching Gary Sheffield in 2003 for the most by a Braves player since the club moved to Atlanta in 1966.
Ronald Acuna Jr. tripled and scored in the third inning for his 140th run, making him the first player to reach that total since Alex Rodriguez had 143 in 2007.
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