Tatís Jr. on hitting: “I’m just a kid playing in a park”

Fernando Tatís Jr. sat down with David Laurila and conducted an exclusive interview regarding what he considers the “art” of hitting. My favorite part of the exchange comes right off the bat (sorry), when “FTJ” makes mention of the youthful, enthusiastic attitude that has quickly made him a favorite around these parts:

David Laurila: Is hitting simple, or is it complicated?

Fernando Tatís: “It’s complicated if you want it to be. I think if you take it as simple as possible, you can be more consistent every day. People make it complicated when they start doing a lot of stuff — when you start doing a lot of stuff to your mind; when you think you’re doing this, you’re doing that. For me, a big thing is to remember that I’m playing baseball. I’m just a kid playing in a park. Yes, I have to make adjustments sometimes, but as simple as I can be at the plate is way better.”

The whole interview is readable via this link, and includes some really good nuggets about Fernando’s approach to hunting fastballs, recognizing spin, and the role of his dad in modeling his swing mechanics.