The Next Global Sports Superstar

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Friends,

Here’s a wild stat:

There is only one player in the history of Major League Baseball to hit 30 home runs and steal 20 bases in their first 100 games.

While logical thoughts make you think it’s one of the games historically great players, like Mike Trout, Mikey Mantle or Pete Rose, it’s actually someone much more recent.

Who is it?

Fernando Tatis Jr.

Most of us probably know Fernando Tatis Jr. by now, but for those that don’t — he’s a 21-year-old shortstop from the Dominican Republic who plays for the San Diego Padres.

Simply put, he’s one of the best baseball players in the world — despite being one of the youngest.

Rather than writing a novel on all that Fernando Tatis Jr. has accomplished in just 2 short seasons, this should get the point across.

Here’s how his first 100 games rank against some of the best MLB players of all-time:

The part you didn’t know about Fernando Tatis Jr.?

He’s about to become the next great global sports superstar.

Here’s my thinking…

From an athletes’ perspective, the recipe for global stardom unanimously requires everyone to take the same first step - continued athletic achievement in your individual sport. With athletic success comes marketing opportunities, endorsements, and ultimately - the money.

When it comes to Fernando Tatis Jr., you can quickly check athletic achievements off the list.

Why?

Look above :)

Secondly, he’s about to get paid.

Despite being under team control for the next 4 years—think league minimum salary & arbitration—the San Diego Padres have made it clear they intend to extend him sooner than later.

When that does happen, he’s looking at a contract worth over $100 million in total.

The best part?

At 21-years-old, given he continues on his hall-of-fame trajectory, he’s setting himself up to receive another massive payday just after he turns 30.

Money aside, Fernando Tatis Jr’s aggressive style of play and multi-cultural heritage has turned him into one of the most popular players in all of baseball.

MLB’s Top-Selling 2020 Jerseys:

1. Mookie Betts (Los Angeles Dodgers)

2. Aaron Judge (New York Yankees)

3. Bryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies)

4. Fernando Tatis Jr. (San Diego Padres)

5. Juan Soto (Washington Nationals)

He’s fourth on the list, but for a 21-year-old that has only played in slightly over 100 career games to be mentioned with established big-market superstars like Mookie Betts, Aaron Judge, and Bryce Harper, that’s super impressive.

Furthermore, according to Forbes, Fernando Tatis Jr. was also “the most searched player during the postseason on baseball’s online video library, MLB Film Room, and added more Instagram followers than any other player during the season.”

With his incredible on-the-field talent leading to growing popularity, what comes next?

Endorsements & Investments.

Just yesterday, Fernando Tatis Jr. agreed to a multi-year endorsement deal with Gatorade to nationally promote its drink “Bolt24,” joining other Gatorade athletes like NBA star Damian Lillard and up-and-coming golfer Matthew Wolf.

Financial details weren’t disclosed, but this is interesting for two reasons.

First, Fernando Tatis Jr. is only the third MLB player Gatorade has worked with on a national level in the last two decades — joining global superstars Derek Jeter & Bryce Harper.

Simply put, in a world where Gatorade rarely sees MLB players as influential enough for mega marketing deals, it’s signifiant they picked Fernando Tatis Jr.

Secondly, and perhaps more impressive, is the player Jeff Kearney—Gatorade’s global head of sports marketing—compared him too.

Who was it?

New York Yankees legend & long-time Gatorade endorser Derek Jeter.

We all remember Fernando Tatis Jr. bypassing baseball’s unwritten rule by hitting a grand slam after swinging at a 3-0 pitch, right?

That’s the type of “swagger” he’s talking about.

Outside of Gatorade, Fernando Tatis Jr. also has existing endorsement deals with Adidas, Mizuno gloves, and Victus Bats, but more importantly — he has started to leverage his popularity to invest.

Earlier this year, Tatis Jr. became an endorser and investor in Hyperice — the $700M performance recovery company who i’m certain will be a multi-billion-dollar company in the future.

As Fernando Tatis Jr. continues his trajectory toward global stardom, look for the 21-year-old phenom to be involved in more equity deals like this.

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