The Dominican Republic has plenty of talent playing in the MLB, as we speak. Some current stars include Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez, New York Mets superstar Juan Soto, Cleveland Guardians slugger Jose Ramirez, and San Diego Padres sensation Fernando Tatis Jr.
There are plenty more currently in the MLB, but the debate about the best Dominican Republic-born active MLB player likely comes down to Soto and Tatis.
The two stars were teammates in San Diego before Soto was traded to the Yankees, and both are among the top players in the league every year. Well, Los Angeles Dodgers legend and Dominican-born player Manny Mota made his pick between the stars.
Manny Mota Settles Fernando Tatis Jr.-Juan Soto Debate
Mota had a long career in the MLB. Mota played for two decades and had stops with each of the San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Expos, and Dodgers.
After retiring at 44, Mota was a coach with the Dodgers and part of two World Series champion teams, so he has seen plenty of top-notch talent in the league.
Now, Mota chimed in on the Soto-Tatis debate, and he went with the Padres star, per Hector Gomez.
“Tatis Jr. is the best and most complete Dominican baseball player currently in the MLB. With all due respect to others, Tatis Jr. can do it all on the field. He’s an all-around player with the five tools”.
It’s a tough pick between Soto and Tatis, especially when you look at their numbers side by side.
- Soto: 948 hits, 203 home runs, 598 RBI, .284/.420/.531/.829 (BA/OBP/SLG/OPS), eight seasons
- Tatis: 583 hits, 133 home runs, 334 RBI, .282/.353/.537/.890, six seasons
Both players are 26, but Tatis missed the 2022 MLB season due to a broken wrist and a PED suspension. Tatis also played 84 games in 2019, so his playing time has been less than that of Soto up until now.
But, as Mota said, Tatis has the five tools around him, and he can do it all, including wreaking havoc on the basepaths.
In 2025, Tatis is already hitting .361 with six home runs and 12 RBI with a 1.101 OPS through the first 14 games. Soto is hitting just .250 with two home runs, six RBI, and a .829 OPS.
There is a scenario where these two stars are in contention for the NL MVP award at the end of the year, so it could be fun to watch them battle against one another.