The Dominican hit his 164th career home run to surpass Nate Colbert and stand alone behind Manny Machado, who leads the franchise with 217 homers.
SAN DIEGO. — Fernando Tatis Jr. continues to make history with the San Diego Padres. The star Dominican outfielder hit his 164th career home run with the franchise this Tuesday and took sole possession of second place on the Padres’ all-time home run list.
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Tatis hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning during San Diego’s 11-2 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers at Petco Park.
With the hit, Tatis surpassed the 163 home runs of Nate Colbert, whose record stood for 55 years. Now, the only player who has more home runs than the Dominican in the history of the Padres is his compatriot Manny Machado, who has accumulated 217.
The coincidence between both Dominicans makes the moment even more special. Machado and Tatis debuted with San Diego on the same day, in March 2019, and seven and a half years later they occupy the top two spots on the organization’s all-time home run list.
Tatis regains his power
Tatis’ rise comes after a start to the season in which he had to work to regain his offensive power. The Dominican did not hit his first home run of the campaign until May 30, but he has changed the landscape in recent weeks.
With Tuesday’s home run, Tatis now has 12 homers this season, including four in his last seven games, confirming that his power is back in full form.
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After his hit against Milwaukee, the Dominican was batting .281, with an OPS of .772, and has become one of the fundamental pieces of the Padres’ offensive resurgence.
A Dominican duo making history
Machado and Tatis’ leadership on the all-time home run list also reflects a new era for the San Diego franchise. Machado broke Colbert’s record on September 10, 2024, and has since continued to extend his lead.
Now Tatis, with barely 164 home runs, establishes himself as his main pursuer.
“That is quite incredible,” Tatis expressed when referring to sharing the top two spots with Machado. The Dominican highlighted that both arrived in San Diego with long-term contracts and with the intention of leaving a historic mark on the organization.
With Machado at the top and Tatis rising to second place, the Padres have two Dominicans at the top of their all-time home run list, a testament to the impact both have had on the club’s recent transformation.
