Tatis, Cronenworth hit ASG as a tandem

When no one was looking, the Padres put together perhaps the best double-play tandem in baseball.

Sure, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jake Cronenworth are All-Stars now. They’re two central figures in Denver this week, with Tatis slated to start at shortstop for the National League on Tuesday in the All-Star Game.

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But when they arrived in San Diego, both Cronenworth and Tatis had the distinction of being wholly overlooked. Tatis arrived as an unheralded prospect in the fabled "James Shields trade" (which is no longer "the James Shields trade," by the way). Cronenworth, meanwhile, was perceived to be the throw-in when the Padres acquired Tommy Pham in a trade with the Rays.

Now, Tatis and Cronenworth are All-Stars together -- the first pair of Padres middle infielders to be named to the same All-Star team in franchise history.

"It's cool to be going," Cronenworth said over the weekend. "But it's just so cool to be going with him. Hopefully, we get an inning or two up the middle together."

The Padres’ double-play duo is joined in Denver by third baseman Manny Machado, closer Mark Melancon and ace Yu Darvish, though Darvish won’t pitch in the game as he battles lingering hip and back tightness.

San Diego’s five All-Stars are a stark change from the previous 13 years, when the Padres never sent more than two. It’s a testament to the turnaround in San Diego – a turnaround with two burgeoning middle-infield stars at the center of it.

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"You always want to be strong up the middle,” said Padres manager Jayce Tingler. “Then, to do it with some young guys that are hungry to continue to grow … they both have the character, the makeup, the drive to be able to do it. With both guys, there's no real ceiling."

What a ridiculously exciting prospect for the Padres' future. Cronenworth and Tatis are in their second and third big league seasons, respectively. They already might be the best combo of second baseman and shortstop in baseball.

Take a look at the top double-play tandems in 2021, according to baseball-reference WAR, through Saturday's games:

1) Cronenworth/Tatis, SD, 8.1 WAR
2) Marcus Semien/Bo Bichette, TOR, 7.4 WAR
3) Jose Altuve/Carlos Correa, HOU, 6.7 WAR
4) Max Muncy/Gavin Lux, LAD, 5.9 WAR
5) Josh Harrison/Trea Turner, WSH, 5.4 WAR

The acquisitions of Tatis and Cronenworth might be the two best trades of A.J. Preller’s tenure as Padres general manager – and he has made quite a few. But while the Padres' pro scouting department loved Tatis and Cronenworth at the time, even Preller is quick to note that, no, he didn’t envision them shining quite this brightly.

That being said, it's something of an organizational credo to acquire as much talent up the middle as possible. (Don’t forget, the Padres’ system also features CJ Abrams, one of the game's premier middle infield prospects, ranked No. 8 overall by MLB Pipeline.)

"Philosophically, we try to be strong up the middle, really at every level, up and down the organization," Preller said. "When you have two guys, at shortstop and second base, really it's crucial. ... Credit to Jake and Fernando for how they've played and the work they've put in the last few years -- definitely a big part of our success here."

Hard to believe it has been less than a year since Cronenworth and Tatis began playing games together in the middle of San Diego infield. Cronenworth was a surprise inclusion on the Padres' 2020 Opening Day roster, and he seized his opportunity at first base when Eric Hosmer landed on the injured list early in the season.

When Hosmer returned, Cronenworth slid to second base, and he went on to post a brilliant debut season, finishing as runner-up in National League Rookie of the Year Award voting.

With Cronenworth entrenched at second base and Tatis on board through 2034 after signing a record-setting extension during the offseason, those two might help define an era of Padres baseball. Think Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell in Detroit or Joe Morgan and Dave Concepcion in Cincinnati.

Those might seem like lofty comparisons. But Tatis and Cronenworth are young and talented, and they're developing quite a rapport.

"They know where each guy's going to be," said Tingler. "That relationship continues to grow and continues to build. That's exactly what you want to see, that dynamic chemistry up the middle between your shortstop and second baseman."

The best example this season came on a Thursday night in April at Dodger Stadium. With the game hanging in the balance, Sheldon Neuse hit a rocket toward Cronenworth at second. He managed to knock the ball down, then composed himself and flipped to the outer edge of the second base bag.

Tatis came flying across, snared the ball with his arm outstretched and fired a rocket to Hosmer for a double play.

"There's something that he does every night that's just exciting," Cronenworth said. "... I've got the front row seat. So I just get to watch him."

Cronenworth shouldn't sell himself short. He and Tatis have been two of the most exciting players in baseball this season. They were both justly rewarded by being named All-Stars for the first time. Hard to envision it being the last.