Fernando Tatis Jr. Loses $34 Million in Lawsuit

Fernando Tatis Jr. is making news around baseball for all the wrong reasons this season. The San Diego Padres $340 million man has zero home runs in 2026. As Bob Nightengale reports, "He has now gone 215 plate appearances this season without a home run, and has come close only twice. The dude last homered Sept. 27, 2025.

Now, off the field, Tatis Jr. has learned that he'll have to pay out a colossal $34M+ to a company he did a business deal with as a minor leaguer.

Fernando Tatis Jr. pierde demanda contra la empresa Big League Advance. Cuando era prospecto, Tatis recibió un préstamo de $2 millones a cambio del 10% de sus ganancias futuras en MLB y ahora le toca pagar. Con su contrato actual de $340 millones, deberá desembolsar alrededor de… pic.twitter.com/rkPwsfQ043
— Mike Rodriguez (@mikedeportes) May 24, 2026

Translated, that reads, "Fernando Tatis Jr. loses lawsuit against the company Big League Advance. When he was a prospect, Tatis received a $2 million loan in exchange for 10% of his future earnings in MLB, and now he has to pay it back.

"With his current $340 million contract, he will have to shell out around $34 million, plus over $240 thousand in legal fees, and also 10% of the $3.4 million obtained in arbitration. "

Hmm. That is the exact opposite of betting on yourself, in sports terms. That is one of the worst betting against yourself instances in sports history.

Sports business insider Joe Pampliano reports that this was not a loan.

"If Tatis didn't make it to the big leagues, he didn't have to repay the $2 million...

"Tatis had publicly praised Big League Advance, saying the $2 million allowed him to hire a personal trainer, upgrade his apartment, and eat better food.

"But after realizing he owed $34 million in exchange for $2 million, Tatis sued the company, alleging that they used predatory tactics to lure him into an investment deal that was really an illegal loan.

"The judge disagreed."

He also reports that Big League Advance has signed deals with more than 700 athletes, largely in major league baseball, the NFL, and college sports. Some of the biggest names include Elly De La Cruz (MLB) and Nolan Smith (NFL). This is one whopping precedent-setting case for Big League Advance.

Maybe the court case has been on Tatis's mind, leading to his .238 average, .598 OPS and... as we mentioned... ZERO homers going into Sunday's play.