In Major League Baseball, the 30/30 club refers to those elite players who hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in a single season. Only 53 players in MLB history have completed the feat, though more may exist given the incomplete records of baseball’s early years. Only seven players are in the elite 40/40 club, with Pete Crow-Armstrong becoming the newest member in 2026. Could the San Diego Padres have the next member of the 30/30 club (or even the elite 40/40 club) on their roster?
Fernando Tatis Jr. Could Become the 30/30 Club’s Next Member
Announcing His Presence
Since joining the San Diego Padres in 2019, Fernando Tatis Jr. has been one of the most electric players in MLB. In his first three seasons, Tatis accumulated 13.4 WAR with 81 homers, 195 RBI, and a .292/.369/.596 slash line. He also produced a .965 OPS and 160 OPS+, putting him 60 points above league average. In that time, he received one All-Star nod, finished third in National League Rookie of the Year voting and third and fourth in MVP voting.
Then came the steroid controversy. Tatis was suspended from baseball during the 2022 season and spent the remainder of it on the injured list after a motorcycle accident in the Dominican Republic. It’s unclear for certain whether Tatis accidentally took steroids, citing that it was in a ringworm medication he was using. Anabolic steroids are used in over-the-counter medication in the D.R., so it isn’t totally far-fetched. That being said, steroid allegations have continued to follow him throughout his career.
Growing Up in San Diego
Since returning from his suspension in ’22, Tatis has accumulated 18.2 WAR with 96 home runs, 281 RBI, and a .273/.348/.462 slash line. That’s actually slightly better production per season, with 4.6 WAR from 2023-26 compared to 4.5 WAR from 2019-21. Tatis has become incredibly consistent, hitting 20-plus homers each year. He’s had an .800-plus OPS in three consecutive years, with 30-plus stolen bases in the last two seasons.
Fernando Tatis Jr. game-tying homer! 😤 https://t.co/LdYzidZMt3
— MLB (@MLB) September 20, 2026
Tatis Jr.’s Elite Glove Work
This is all without mentioning Tatis’s elite defense all around the field. He made the move from shortstop to right field in 2023 to make room for the incoming Xander Bogaerts. Bogaerts was signed to an immense contract in free agency with the expectation of playing shortstop. The problem was that Tatis was already established as San Diego’s shortstop. Moving him to right field was a major shift.
FERNANDO TATIS JR. HOME RUN ROBBERY 😱 https://t.co/hMEdp0sokf
— MLB (@MLB) July 31, 2026
He immediately delivered. Tatis earned a Gold Glove at the position in 2023, adding the Platinum Glove as well. He earned another in 2025 and was honored with the Platinum Glove award a second time that year. His defense is consistently elite, making incredible plays look routine and constantly robbing home runs in right field. That has made Tatis one of the most valuable players on San Diego’s roster.
Making Padres History
The question of Tatis joining the 30/30 club has much more to do with consistent production over a full season. That’s something that Tatis has never been particularly adept at. For example, in 2026 he hit just five home runs before the All-Star break. He hit 20 following the Midsummer Classic. He ended the season going 25/38, and could have certainly gone 30/30 with just a few more long balls earlier in the year. Had Tatis had similar production in the first half as he did in the second, he likely could have made a push for the 40/40 club as well.
In the last two seasons, Tatis has gone 25/32 and 25/38. It’s highly likely that the right fielder makes a push for the 30/30 club in 2027. The bigger question is if he can put together an MVP-caliber season and become the eighth member of the 40/40 club. Whatever he’s able to accomplish, Tatis would be the first Padre to become a member of either club. The closest came when Wil Myers went 28/28 in 2016, coming just two homers and two stolen bases shy of the feat. If Tatis can do it, it would cement his case as a Padres all-timer.
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