In Photos: Fernando Tatis Jr. explores Korean culture with mom ahead of Padres' Seoul Series showdown against Dodgers

Fernando Tatis Jr. and the San Diego Padres have landed in Seoul for their two-game series against the LA Dodgers at the Gocheok Sky Dome on Mar. 20 and 21.

Ahead of the much-anticipated showdown, the Padres' leadoff hitter took some time to explore Korean streets and understand their culture. Accompanying him on his exploration was his mom, Maria Tatis, who enjoyed Korean food and ensembles while down there.

Tatis took to Instagram to share glimpses from his vlog on Instagram.

Fernando Tatis Jr.'s Instagram story

Game 1 of the Seoul Series will take place on Mar. 20. Tyler Glasnow will take the mound for the Dodgers, while Yu Darvish will start for the Padres.

Game 2 action will be on March 21. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will make his debut for the Dodgers, while Joe Musgrove will start for the Padres.

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Fernando Tatis Jr. evaluates his 2023 performance, feeling energetic ahead of new season

Fernando Tatis Jr.'s 2023 numbers were decengt, but by his standards, they were underwhelming. He had 25 home runs and a .770 OPS, which were better than the league average. He also received some placement votes for the MVP category, but Tatis wanted more.

In an interaction after training, Tatis spoke about his 2023 season, saying he 'never found his swing.'

“It was just a grind,” Tatis said. “I feel like I never found my swing last year during the entire season. I was searching, searching, searching. And then when I opened my eyes, it was the end of the season.”

However, to be fair to Tatis, a lot has happened to him in the last few years. He missed the entire 2022 season due to injuries and a PED suspension. Moreover, during that span, he underwent three surgeries, so a lot of potential playing time was lost in recovery.

“Last year, it was more getting back on track, see how I was going to bounce back after all those surgeries,” Tatis said.

“It was a battle. But at the end of the day, I feel like we took control of everything that we can. Now this year is totally different in preparation and what I'm aiming for.”

Fernando Tatis Jr. has a new season ahead of him and has his confidence high.

“I really had a really good offseason,” Tatis said. “My confidence is through the roof. I just want them to sit down and see what I'm going to do this year.”

Tune in on Wednesday to see Tatis in action against the Dodgers.