Whether he’s celebrating a clutch homer or a spectacular catch in the outfield, Fernando Tatis Jr. is one of baseball’s most animated players.
Now more than ever.
The Padres phenom is the latest MLB star to power up to superhero status as part of "Heroes of the Game," a collaboration between MLB and the top creators in the anime world that uses videos and social imagery to imagine elite players such as Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes and others as larger-than-life heroes with otherworldly skills.
The Phillies’ Bryce Harper, the Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. and the Mariners’ Julio Rodríguez are some of the other members of the anime-inspired superhero squad.
The "Heroes of the Game" campaign launched just before Opening Day across MLB's various media platforms, with plans to grow the roster throughout the season.
MLB teamed up with anime artists whose credits range from One Piece to Fullmetal Alchemist, and director Hiroshi Shimizu to create the films. Every scene was hand-drawn to bring to life a new world of baseball.
Tatis has slugged 12 homers and has .290/.361/.530 slash line through 47 games this season. The do-it-all standout has also stolen eight bases in 10 tries and is one of MLB’s most valuable defensive players.
Brian Murphy is a reporter for MLB.com.