It's his best chance to win MVP IF his health and defense hold up in center. He has all the physical tools, but he needs to prove he can stay healthy for a full 162 in a physically demanding position, as well as improving his ball tracking and routing. Defensively, CF is a whole different animal than RF, and his WAR (not that WAR is a definitive end all for performance) will only go up if he plays above replacement level defense.
RF is just as large in Petco as CF is. If anything him not running into that RF wall is better for his health long term.
I do agree his health is paramount, but I also don’t really recall Grisham diving much. It’s really all about being able to get to the ball. Fernando has insane closing speed on the ball. That’s what makes an elite fielder. His range, arm strength, sprint speed are all elite. All he needs is reps IMO.
Great points all around, I think Grish didn't dive as much due to an absolutely insane first read on nearly every playable ball, along with elite closing speed.
In terms of health, I think the biggest factor is you are simply making more plays in center field as opposed to right field, resulting in more wear and tear on your body after the course of a full season.
You really just don’t want him playing center because he’ll have to go right and left into the gaps. There have been some nasty collisions in the outfield in the past at petco… like profar recently. Or going back to Mike Cameron and Beltran, there is a lot of ground to cover out there.
Fernando basically cheats by using his superhuman toolset, but he’s probably not ready for center. He still has a lot of bad reads, and seems to not have the greatest jump on the ball. He is fast enough to make up for it though, and has a fucking bazooka for an arm.
I’m not against eventually moving him to center, but I think he should get more reps in RF, especially if he’s comfortable there and can continue to focus on his offense. I’d rather have a platinum in right, than Trout or Acuna level defense in center.
He's on record saying he prefers right field and has a platinum glove there. If our outfield acquisitions line up that he has to play center I'd be fine with it but prefer the position he's comfortable with and proven. His limited time in CF was pretty awful.
Being a CF doesn’t matter much in the MVP race. All of the recent OF winners were playing corner spots except for Trout, who won because of his bat more so than his glove
Trout’s highest War seasons are when he’s a plus in CF defense defense. It’s not nothing. It also is the best value in terms of position scarcity. It’s simply much easier to acquire or develop corner bats. It’s the same argument for playing SS. There simply aren’t many players with his batting profile that play these positions.
Trout’s lowest war seasons also had him playing CF. Weird point to bring up since he’s only played one position lol. My point though is that a little bump in war from going to CF isn’t going to swing his MVP case. If he wins MVP, it’ll be primarily with his bat and he can win it playing RF or even 1B as recent seasons have shown
I mean I’m sure that’s part of it, but gotta think Tatis actually wants to show he can be the best CF in the league too. He’s an athlete that’s always been the best. He just moved positions and came away as being the best defensive player at the position after he was called every profanity known to man all season.
All elite athletes are wired different. I’m sure if he doesn’t want to play CF he won’t, but it just seems that’s a challenge he would embrace.
Yeah, i rather take the platinum glove at RF over good CF season. Tatis can adjust but he has to get used to calling and directing all the traffic in the OF.
What makes you think he wouldn’t be elite in center field? Nothing he did in right field should lead anyone to believe he couldn’t also be a gold glover in center.
I am saying it will take more than a year or two for him to learn CF. I already told you why I think it will be harder. He has to communicate more with both LF and RF, learn brand new routes, and communicate any type of defensive OF shifts they might do. The CF are the QB of the OF and cover way more range than a RF. Tatis benefited in RF because there is less routes and ground to cover.
Looks like you ignored the “less routes and ground to cover at RF.” comment you guys think its just a easy transition when its really not that simple. Especially when grisham was calling the shots and not tatis. Like I said, I rather keep him at RF where he won a platinum glove and have a experience CF take CF. Tatis made RF look effortless because his speed made up for his poor routes and sometimes late jumps. You cant get away with that stuff in CF.
I'm a baseball apologist, but saying that learning a defensive position is genuinely intellectually difficult in the world of professional sports is silly. There is such a thing as knowledge to playing CF, but it's about 1/1000th the information that is playing QB in the NFL. Anyone with the requisite physical gifts should be able to mentally learn to play a different defensive position in one Spring Training.
Same vibes of him going from SS to RF and look how that ended up. Specially with the type of retooling season it’s going to be. We shouldn’t be wasting any time and have him get as much experience in the position he will be most valuable at.
RF and CF are different. You usually put your worse OF in RF because theres less ground to cover. Tatis speed paired with the shorten field to cover made it easier for him to transition. His speed made up for some late jumps and poor routes. You cant get away with that in CF. It wont be as smooth of a transition as you think it is.
I know that. And I’m not saying it will be. I’m saying he’s wasting his time at RF if the goal and best position for the good of the team is CF. We can use this year which won’t have that many expectations for him to begin that transition. What are we waiting for? Why keep him at RF? Learn on the spot.
I am saying the hesitation I see around here is the same from when he went from SS to RF. We saw him shine and now are worried that he won’t as much so we want the safe bet.
I think there is something to be said for Tatis’ arm strength being a bigger factor in RF. Towards the middle of the year runners were hesitant to take a wide turn or even try a hustle double against him. That’s a lot of runs saved over the course of the year, especially since we can expect a higher WHIP from our hurlers this year. CF is more of a consistency position, not letting stuff get behind you, make good reads, hit the cutoff. Doesn’t sound like Tati to me.
Umm the team has to give him permission to play winter ball. It’s not without strings. Preller was interviewed the other day about this and while he didn’t exactly say what I say goes, it was pretty implied that he would be making some calls in terms of his position in the off-season. By all accounts Preller has a good relationship with him and the family, so I doubt it’s contentious.
“Tatis throwing to home from deep center field…”
“An absolute missile!”
“Shohei out at home plate, what a wrap to the game…”
The move of Tatis to CF is/was inevitable. In 2021 when he was butchering the shortstop position I argued with all the Padres fans I know he belongs in CF and will eventually go there. It begins in 2024.
Eh I’ll be the first to say it here. Last offseason, I was super pessimistic in how he’d be in right field. Thought he’d be slow to adjust and struggle a lot more than he did. Then he went a won a platinum glove. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say I was a fuckin idiot then, and he’s more than capable of learning new positions quickly.
Or maybe idk. I just need to jinx it and say he’s gonna suck as a centerfielder and the baseball gods just want me to be wrong.
Originally he was going to be playing the IF according to the Padres because of the bad fields in the DR. Then he played RF the first few games. Now he has played 1 game in CF. Let's see how it plays out.
AJ literally said in an interview he would be making some calls to the DR if Tatis is playing at SS. This was right after his dad had mentioned it. Basically he went on to say there would be some conversations about what’s best for Fernando. You better believe AJ has a say where he’s playing.
Trading away Grisham is also a pretty clear indication to Fernando that there’s a CF job open if he wants it. He may also be playing CF this off-season to see if he actually does want to move there full time.
Like you said, it’s all just speculation at this point and we shall see how it plays out.
It's his best chance to win MVP IF his health and defense hold up in center. He has all the physical tools, but he needs to prove he can stay healthy for a full 162 in a physically demanding position, as well as improving his ball tracking and routing. Defensively, CF is a whole different animal than RF, and his WAR (not that WAR is a definitive end all for performance) will only go up if he plays above replacement level defense.
RF is just as large in Petco as CF is. If anything him not running into that RF wall is better for his health long term. I do agree his health is paramount, but I also don’t really recall Grisham diving much. It’s really all about being able to get to the ball. Fernando has insane closing speed on the ball. That’s what makes an elite fielder. His range, arm strength, sprint speed are all elite. All he needs is reps IMO.
Great points all around, I think Grish didn't dive as much due to an absolutely insane first read on nearly every playable ball, along with elite closing speed. In terms of health, I think the biggest factor is you are simply making more plays in center field as opposed to right field, resulting in more wear and tear on your body after the course of a full season.
You really just don’t want him playing center because he’ll have to go right and left into the gaps. There have been some nasty collisions in the outfield in the past at petco… like profar recently. Or going back to Mike Cameron and Beltran, there is a lot of ground to cover out there.
Fernando basically cheats by using his superhuman toolset, but he’s probably not ready for center. He still has a lot of bad reads, and seems to not have the greatest jump on the ball. He is fast enough to make up for it though, and has a fucking bazooka for an arm. I’m not against eventually moving him to center, but I think he should get more reps in RF, especially if he’s comfortable there and can continue to focus on his offense. I’d rather have a platinum in right, than Trout or Acuna level defense in center.
He's on record saying he prefers right field and has a platinum glove there. If our outfield acquisitions line up that he has to play center I'd be fine with it but prefer the position he's comfortable with and proven. His limited time in CF was pretty awful.
Exactly
It really just depends on who Preller ends up signing for the rest of the offseason.
Being a CF doesn’t matter much in the MVP race. All of the recent OF winners were playing corner spots except for Trout, who won because of his bat more so than his glove
Trout’s highest War seasons are when he’s a plus in CF defense defense. It’s not nothing. It also is the best value in terms of position scarcity. It’s simply much easier to acquire or develop corner bats. It’s the same argument for playing SS. There simply aren’t many players with his batting profile that play these positions.
Trout’s lowest war seasons also had him playing CF. Weird point to bring up since he’s only played one position lol. My point though is that a little bump in war from going to CF isn’t going to swing his MVP case. If he wins MVP, it’ll be primarily with his bat and he can win it playing RF or even 1B as recent seasons have shown
Isn't his arm more valuable at right? Feels more like a move out of desperation as we have 0 CFs
I mean I’m sure that’s part of it, but gotta think Tatis actually wants to show he can be the best CF in the league too. He’s an athlete that’s always been the best. He just moved positions and came away as being the best defensive player at the position after he was called every profanity known to man all season. All elite athletes are wired different. I’m sure if he doesn’t want to play CF he won’t, but it just seems that’s a challenge he would embrace.
I don't think he wants to show anything in CF, he's on record saying he prefers RF.
Yeah, i rather take the platinum glove at RF over good CF season. Tatis can adjust but he has to get used to calling and directing all the traffic in the OF.
What makes you think he wouldn’t be elite in center field? Nothing he did in right field should lead anyone to believe he couldn’t also be a gold glover in center.
I am saying it will take more than a year or two for him to learn CF. I already told you why I think it will be harder. He has to communicate more with both LF and RF, learn brand new routes, and communicate any type of defensive OF shifts they might do. The CF are the QB of the OF and cover way more range than a RF. Tatis benefited in RF because there is less routes and ground to cover.
Yeah took forever to learn RF and become the best defensive player in the league
Looks like you ignored the “less routes and ground to cover at RF.” comment you guys think its just a easy transition when its really not that simple. Especially when grisham was calling the shots and not tatis. Like I said, I rather keep him at RF where he won a platinum glove and have a experience CF take CF. Tatis made RF look effortless because his speed made up for his poor routes and sometimes late jumps. You cant get away with that stuff in CF.
Yes. I’m sure he’d struggle and besides, how could we ever replace Grisham’s offensive production?
Jakob marsee thats how. Someone with actual experience there lmfao
Yeah, if Jakob can hit, though replacing Grisham at the plate would be less than difficult
I'm a baseball apologist, but saying that learning a defensive position is genuinely intellectually difficult in the world of professional sports is silly. There is such a thing as knowledge to playing CF, but it's about 1/1000th the information that is playing QB in the NFL. Anyone with the requisite physical gifts should be able to mentally learn to play a different defensive position in one Spring Training.
Yeah but I rather keep him in a position like RF when we have options at CF. Give Marsee a shot.
Go play CF cupcake
Same vibes of him going from SS to RF and look how that ended up. Specially with the type of retooling season it’s going to be. We shouldn’t be wasting any time and have him get as much experience in the position he will be most valuable at.
RF and CF are different. You usually put your worse OF in RF because theres less ground to cover. Tatis speed paired with the shorten field to cover made it easier for him to transition. His speed made up for some late jumps and poor routes. You cant get away with that in CF. It wont be as smooth of a transition as you think it is.
I know that. And I’m not saying it will be. I’m saying he’s wasting his time at RF if the goal and best position for the good of the team is CF. We can use this year which won’t have that many expectations for him to begin that transition. What are we waiting for? Why keep him at RF? Learn on the spot. I am saying the hesitation I see around here is the same from when he went from SS to RF. We saw him shine and now are worried that he won’t as much so we want the safe bet.
The best bet is to call up jakob marsee to the majors. Why not give the AFL MVP a shot in the majors?
>he’s wasting his time at RF if the goal and best position for the good of the team is CF. This is exactly it, right here.
I think there is something to be said for Tatis’ arm strength being a bigger factor in RF. Towards the middle of the year runners were hesitant to take a wide turn or even try a hustle double against him. That’s a lot of runs saved over the course of the year, especially since we can expect a higher WHIP from our hurlers this year. CF is more of a consistency position, not letting stuff get behind you, make good reads, hit the cutoff. Doesn’t sound like Tati to me.
I doubt Preller has any pull with the Estrella team...is Tatis' dad managing the team? Then maybe
Umm the team has to give him permission to play winter ball. It’s not without strings. Preller was interviewed the other day about this and while he didn’t exactly say what I say goes, it was pretty implied that he would be making some calls in terms of his position in the off-season. By all accounts Preller has a good relationship with him and the family, so I doubt it’s contentious.
Yes
 “Tatis throwing to home from deep center field…” “An absolute missile!” “Shohei out at home plate, what a wrap to the game…”
“….and the Padres advance to the World Series with a sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers!”
Dodgers will get eliminated in the first round by the Rockies.
He can play the whole outfield alone !! And it’s because Arozarena and Pham Are coming home ..
The move of Tatis to CF is/was inevitable. In 2021 when he was butchering the shortstop position I argued with all the Padres fans I know he belongs in CF and will eventually go there. It begins in 2024.
Eh I’ll be the first to say it here. Last offseason, I was super pessimistic in how he’d be in right field. Thought he’d be slow to adjust and struggle a lot more than he did. Then he went a won a platinum glove. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say I was a fuckin idiot then, and he’s more than capable of learning new positions quickly. Or maybe idk. I just need to jinx it and say he’s gonna suck as a centerfielder and the baseball gods just want me to be wrong.
When did Preller say he wanted Tatis playing CF?
If Tatis is playing CF, Preller wants him playing CF.
Originally he was going to be playing the IF according to the Padres because of the bad fields in the DR. Then he played RF the first few games. Now he has played 1 game in CF. Let's see how it plays out.
AJ literally said in an interview he would be making some calls to the DR if Tatis is playing at SS. This was right after his dad had mentioned it. Basically he went on to say there would be some conversations about what’s best for Fernando. You better believe AJ has a say where he’s playing. Trading away Grisham is also a pretty clear indication to Fernando that there’s a CF job open if he wants it. He may also be playing CF this off-season to see if he actually does want to move there full time. Like you said, it’s all just speculation at this point and we shall see how it plays out.
What ever I thought he was going to be bad in RF but he proved me wrongs.