Fernando Tatis

In his rookie campaign, Tatis blew away the lofty expectations that accompanied his rise up the prospect rankings. Among players with 300 or more plate appearances, Tatis placed 11th in wRC+ (150) while ranking in the top 15 in traditional metrics such as batting average (.317), slugging percentage (.590) and OPS (.969). The phenom was limited to 84 games due to a pair of stints on the injured list, but when healthy he flashed an impressive combination of speed and power, swatting 22 home runs and utilizing baseball's 18th-best sprint speed (29.3 ft/s) to swipe 16 bases. Tatis' high strikeout rate (29.6%) and unsustainable BABIP (.410) portend some batting-average regression, but he'll be only 21 years old on Opening Day and should improve his plate discipline as he matures. Even with some imperfections, Tatis possesses the necessary tools to be a legitimate 30-30 threat for many seasons to come.

Tatis has had a lot of success (133 wRC+ at Double-A as a 19-year-old) relative to age and level, but there are red flags in his profile that are not shared by the game's other elite prospects. He has a 27.9% strikeout rate at Double-A and only 26.7% of his hits went to the opposite field last year. His physical gifts can't be taught (easy plus power, above-average speed and athleticism) and he didn't turn 20 until Jan. 2, but his approach undeniably needs some work. Tatis could eventually provide Trevor Story-esque production at shortstop, but there will likely be some bumps along the road against big-league pitching. He missed the final six weeks of 2018 with a broken thumb, but was ready for winter ball and will open 2019 at Triple-A. The Padres say they will keep him on a fast track, but unless there is significant skills growth with his approach, he should not be expected to hit for a high average against big-league pitching if he debuts this summer.

Tatis became the first 18-year-old in the modern era to post a 20-20 season in the Midwest League. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound quick-twitch athlete may have slightly misled dynasty-league owners with his 21-homer, 29-steal campaign. He projects to be a 30-homer threat in the majors, but his steal totals should decline annually as he continues to mature physically. It is extremely rare for players his age to hit for that kind of power at Low-A while also showcasing a quality approach (124:75 K:BB). He could struggle to hit much higher than .275, but given his age, athleticism and aptitude for making adjustments, anything is possible on that front. The same could be said for his ability to stick at shortstop, as many expect him to eventually end up at third base, but such a move is unlikely to be made for at least a couple years. He is on track to enter 2019 alongside another junior (Vladimir Guerrero) as a top-three prospect in baseball.

At the time of the trade, it seemed that the Padres were simply getting salary relief and a low-level minor league throw-in from the White Sox for James Shields. Now, general manager A.J. Preller can point to his acquisition of Tatis as one of his best moves in what has been a calendar year full of excellent maneuvers. He was an above-average hitter as a 17-year-old in both the Arizona and Northwest leagues last year, and is still just scratching the surface of his potential. Tatis is already 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, so he will likely grow out of shortstop, but his bat should be good enough for him to profile as at least an average regular at third base. So far he has shown more speed than power, but that will not be the case for much longer. Tatis could offer 25-30 homer pop as he continues to mature physically. His future value will hinge on the continued development of his bat, but he is well ahead of schedule.