SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- On Aug. 13, the National League seemed primed for an all-time great Rookie of the Year showdown. Pete Alonso and Fernando Tatis Jr. had burst onto the scene -- two potentially generational talents with very different skill sets. The baseball world was captivated by both.

Then, Tatis chopped a foul ball down the third-base line against Tampa Bay and grabbed his lower back after the swing. Three days later, the Padres' 20-year-old shortstop was sidelined for the season. Not only had the sport lost one of its most exciting young players, it was deprived of a potential photo finish for one of its major awards.

So here we are. Alonso was named the league’s top rookie on Monday night, winning the award with 29 of 30 first-place votes. Tatis finished third with two votes for second place and 20 for third place. No Padre has won the NL Rookie of the Year Award since Benito Santiago in 1987. Still, Tatis’ finish is the highest by a Padres rookie since Khalil Greene came in second to Jason Bay in 2004.

A surprise addition to the Opening Day roster, Tatis needed no big league acclimation period. He batted .317/.379/.590 and became an instant fan favorite for his flair and his otherworldly athleticism -- on the bases and at shortstop. Had he remained healthy, Tatis might have made a run at becoming the youngest batting champ in Major League history.

But Tatis was limited to just 84 games in his rookie season, dropping him into a third-place finish as Braves right-hander Mike Soroka placed second. Tatis missed all of May because of a hamstring strain, and he was sidelined from August through the end of the season with a stress reaction in his lower back.

Meanwhile, Padres right-hander Chris Paddack didn’t receive any votes, despite his 3.33 ERA and sub-1 WHIP. Of course, it was Paddack who called out Alonso in May after he felt he deserved the NL Rookie of the Month Award over Alonso. Paddack then predicted a showdown for Rookie of the Year. Alonso got the last laugh.

The good news for Paddack and Tatis (and the entire baseball world): The budding rivalry among the youngsters on the Padres and Mets is still in its infancy. When Paddack, Tatis and Alonso meet in the future, they will no longer be rookies. But they'll still represent three of the sport's most dynamic young stars.

Pitching pursuit a priority

The Padres unveiled fresh uniforms and a new color scheme during a festive event at Petco Park on Saturday night. In the moments before they did so, a chant broke out among the fans in attendance:

"Ste-phen Stras-burg," they sang.

The star right-hander is indeed a free agent, leaving Padres fans eager for the San Diego State product to make his return to the city. After the event, executive chairman Ron Fowler was asked about those chants.

"I'm not going to talk about any specific players," Fowler said. "But we know we're probably going to need another starting pitcher or two."

Whether it's Strasburg or perhaps a lower-profile option like Zack Wheeler, those words come as no surprise. The Padres like the upside of their young rotation. But their depth could use a boost, and they're lacking a true frontline arm at the moment.

Fowler also noted the possibility that the Padres might dip into their deep prospect pool for a trade. In the past, Padres general manager A.J. Preller has been hesitant to move pieces from his top-ranked farm system. But Fowler explained why this winter might be different.

"Up until this past year, we really wanted to make sure about how we valued our prospects," Fowler said. "Whether we thought they were as strong as we felt they were. It's all currency. Basically, the ones you think are going to be there long term, you develop them. The ones you think you can make your team stronger by moving, you have to look at moving. That's where we are this year. That's the difference between this year and '18 and '19."

Preller figures to be one of the busier general managers at this week’s GM meetings in Scottsdale, which began Monday.

Padres stars meet Tingler

Eric Hosmer was playing first base for the Royals during a Spring Training game against Texas when he first met Jayce Tingler, who was filling in as first-base coach.

Now the new Padres skipper, Tingler reunited with Hosmer over the weekend at the uniform unveiling. The two had spoken via phone but hadn't met again in person until Saturday evening.

"It was refreshing," Hosmer said. "The one thing he was really harping on is fundamentals. There's so much talent here, and so much of it is young talent. To hear him preach fundamentals and getting back to those basics is really refreshing to hear."

Tingler also met with Manny Machado, who was on hand for the festivities, and Machado came away impressed.

"Him coming out here and introducing himself in person was pretty awesome today," Machado said. "What he's going to bring to the ballclub is what we've needed. ... He's awesome, straightforward, looks like a very humble guy. He's been through a lot to get to this situation.

"... Knowing Spanish is pretty cool also. He's going to fit in pretty well in the clubhouse. He'll be able to interact with a lot of us. That's always good to have."