In the hopes that they would be the best players of the 2025 MLB season, fans and experts had their sights set on big names like Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. But the outcome flipped with many of the big stars failing to live up to the hype. And then, the spotlight shifted to another player. According to Juan Soto, a $340 million star is currently the best in Major League Baseball. Guessed the name yet?
We are talking about the San Diego Padres star, Fernando Tatis Jr. “El Niño” is riding high on success and has been called the best player by the All-Star trio – Juan Soto, Manny Machado, and Jose Altuve.
Juan Soto did an interview with Abriendo Sports, where he mentioned, “For me, right now, there’s no one more complete than Tatis Jr.”
The appreciation not only comes based on this year’s performance, but also the time when Soto shared the clubhouse with Tatis Jr. According to him, “…he can do it all in the field. You can see players that do everything at least average or better, but he does everything elite.” The Mets’ superstar didn’t hesitate to recall Tatis’s platinum glove, how he hit 40 HRs in Padres, and “how to move on both sides of the ball and has a cannon of an arm.”
And that’s enough for Juan Soto to name his ex-teammate the “best player in the game.”
Well, it cannot be denied that Fernando Tatis Jr. is on fire – he has batted at an average of .317, with a .387 OBP, a .556 slugging percentage, and a .943 OPS.
Fernando Tatis Jr. has accumulated eight home runs already, 18 RBIs, seven stolen bases, and 1.7 fWAR. It currently ranks him as one of the top five players in the Major League. His dominant start to this season is one of the most crucial contributing factors for the Padres sitting at 23-11. Well, he is currently one of the strongest batters that every pitcher might be afraid to face.
Although Aaron Judge is nowhere lagging, hitting at a .414 average with 11 home runs, 33 RBIs, and a 1.263 OPS, it might be the moments that Soto spent with Tatis Jr. that led to naming him as the best.
But it’s not just him, though…
Two Dominican All-Stars have their say amid Juan Soto’s praise for his former teammate
Fernando Tatis Jr’s teammate and close friend, Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres, didn’t hold back in agreeing with what Juan Soto said. “What that guy does on the field is out of this world. He runs, fields, hits with power, gives it his all and plays with joy,” Machado mentioned, considering him to be the player who can create the most impact in clutch moments of the game. But the appreciations do not end here!
Cleveland Guardians’ star, Jose Ramirez, chimed in with “Tatis has what everyone wants: talent, spark, energy, and respect for the game. You watch him play, and it makes you want to turn on the TV every day. He’s a show.”
Yes, it’s true – Tatis Jr. boasts a stature that makes people want more of him, be it his defensive skills in the outfield or his batting – everything falls into place when he is on the ground. And that got proved just on point with his formidable comeback right after the injury scare! (Not to forget all the criticisms that he brings forth, too!) On Saturday night, Tatis Jr. disobeyed the rain at PNC Park and turned the tie in the top of the 9th inning into a 2-1 victory against the Pirates.
The 26-year-old’ inning opened with a heated grounder down the third base line. He turned a base hit into a hustle double. Then Tatis was moved to third, grounding out Luis Arraez, and just after two pitches, he swiped 3B. That was his 100th career stolen base. And now, he is the 27th active player in MLB to be a part of the 100 home run/100 steal club.
Also, let’s not forget it was El Niño’s homer that gave San Diego the lead and the win they needed.
Tatis’s overall swinging allows him to hit against the pitchers much better this year. As he shared with the Padres beat reporter, “I decided to grow in that area. Like I said, these are small steps. There are still five months of baseball to be played.”
Well, we all hope that Tatis Jr. keeps being the treat that he is right now on the field. And if it goes like that, probably the All-Star trio is right.
The post Aaron Judge Not Best in MLB? Juan Soto Backtracks on Ex-Yankees Teammate as He Hypes $340M Star With Huge Claim appeared first on EssentiallySports.
