SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Padres fans have long-clamored to see the team's top prospect break into the bigs.
Well, the future may be now.
According to a report from The Athletic, the much-anticipated debut of Fernando Tatis Jr., the Padres' No. 1 prospect and Major League Baseball's No. 2 overall prospect, is coming Opening Day.
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The club would not confirm the addition, telling 10News that Opening Day's roster was still being finalized.
If he plays, Tatis Jr. will be 20 years old. The last player that young to play on Opening Day was Adrian Beltre in 1999, at age 19 years, 363 days old, according to MLB.com.
News of Tatis Jr. making the roster would be a welcomed addition to the Padres' lineup this week. The team is already riding high on a solid Spring Training and the blockbuster signing of All-Star infielder Manny Machado.
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The two have talked highly of one another as well, with Tatis saying in September, "I can learn about a lot from [Machado]. He's going to teach me a lot. It's going to be special to play right next to him."
Both Padres stars were recently featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated under the headline, “Who’s Your Padre? Baseball’s Future Rocks (and Rakes) in San Diego.”
SI writer Tom Verducci said the "super prospect" Tatis Jr. and Machado were a part of one of his “top turnaround teams” for the upcoming season and “loaded with high-end young talent.”
