The Chicago Cubs saw little of Fernando Tatis Jr.’s best during last year’s Wild Card Series. He went 1-for-12 as the Padres lost in three games. But the larger postseason record tells a far more intimidating story for Chicago ahead of WC Tuesday’s rematch at Petco Park.

Tatis enters the 2026 playoffs with a 1.114 career postseason OPS, the highest among active players with at least 50 playoff plate appearances.

Across 16 games, he has hit .317 with six home runs, five doubles, and 12 RBIs. Those numbers demonstrate a player who can change a short series with one swing, even though last year was rough.

Padres fans saw that power at its most electric in 2024, when Tatis hit four home runs in his first five playoff games without striking out. They got another reminder of his appetite for a big stage this March, when he launched the Dominican Republic’s first World Baseball Classic grand slam.

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The celebrations and bat flips are memorable, but the damage he does before them is what the Cubs must worry about.

San Diego needs that version of Tatis in the leadoff spot. He can put pressure on Chicago before Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill, and Ty France get their first turns at the plate, while an extra-base hit could give the Padres an immediate advantage in a short series. The Cubs won five of six regular-season meetings with San Diego, so the Padres cannot count on their late-season surge alone to carry them through.

Tatis cannot erase last year’s 1-for-12 showing before Game 1 begins. He can make it feel distant quickly. If his career playoff numbers are a guide, Chicago’s pitchers will have to treat every trip he makes to the plate as a chance for the series to swing San Diego’s way.

Right now, Fernando is in scoring position by just standing in the batter's box.