Anthony Michael Rendon (, ; born June 6, 1990) is an American
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the Baseball scorekeep ...
for the
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB). He has previously played for the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
and was a member of the Nationals'
2019 World Series
The 2019 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season. The 115th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League champion 2019 ...
championship team.
Rendon played
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...
for the
Rice University Owls, where he won the 2010
Dick Howser Trophy
The Dick Howser Trophy is bestowed annually to the national college baseball player of the year. The award is named after former collegiate and Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager Dick Howser, who died as the result of brain cancer on ...
. Rendon was selected sixth overall in the
2011 MLB draft by the Nationals. Rendon made his MLB debut in 2013. He is an
All-Star
An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry.
Sports
"All-star" as a sport ...
and two-time
Silver Slugger Award
The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best Batting (baseball), offensive player at each Baseball positions, position in both the American League (AL) and the National League (baseball), National League (NL), as determ ...
winner.
Early years
Rendon is the second son of Rene and Bridget Rendon. His parents say Rendon started playing baseball at a very early age, hitting pine cones with sticks as early as the age of three. Rendon grew up on the southwest side of Houston and excelled in both academics and sports. For the first two and a half years of high school, Rendon attended George Bush High School, before transferring to
Lamar High School. As a senior, he was a first-team 5A all-state
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...
and an All-Greater Houston selection by the ''
Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. ...
'' after he hit .570 with eight
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
s, 17
doubles, 56
runs batted in
A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...
, 56
runs, and 13
stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base unaided by other actions and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out ...
s. Out of high school, Rendon was drafted in the 27th round of the
Major League Baseball Draft
The Major League Baseball draft (officially the Rule 4 Draft; also known as the first-year player draft or amateur draft) is the primary mechanism by which Major League Baseball (MLB) assigns amateur baseball players from high schools, colleg ...
by the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
. He turned down their
signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
to play for
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres.
Rice University comp ...
and head coach
Wayne Graham
Wayne Leon Graham (April 6, 1936 – September 3, 2024) was an American college baseball head coach. He is known for being the head baseball coach for the Rice Owls in Houston, Texas. He coached one College World Series championship team and fi ...
.
College career
As a freshman in 2009, Rendon was named ''
Baseball America
''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...
's'' Freshman of the Year, All-America, Freshman All-American, NCBWA's District VII Player of the Year,
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
All-Regional Team,
Conference USA
Conference USA (CUSA) is a collegiate athletic conference of member institutions in the Southern and Western United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. CUSA's offices are located in Dallas, Texas.
Mem ...
Player of the Year, All-Conference USA (first team),
Conference USA All-Tournament Team, and MVP of the Silver Glove Series with cross-town rival,
University of Houston
The University of Houston (; ) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas, United States. It was established in 1927 as Houston Junior College, a coeducational institution and one of multiple junior colleges formed in ...
.
As a true freshman, he hit .388 with 20 home runs and 72 runs batted in, starting in all 61 of the Owls' games. Rendon was also nominated for both the
Dick Howser Trophy
The Dick Howser Trophy is bestowed annually to the national college baseball player of the year. The award is named after former collegiate and Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager Dick Howser, who died as the result of brain cancer on ...
and the
Golden Spikes Award
The Golden Spikes Award is bestowed annually to the best amateur baseball player in the United States. The award, created by USA Baseball and sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association, was first presented in 1978. It is given to ...
in his first season at the college level. He led the conference in numerous offensive categories, including batting average, slugging percentage and home runs, setting a new Rice freshman record. He added 31 walks to his already gaudy offensive numbers, giving him a .496 on-base percentage. In addition to his batting prowess, he stole nine bases in eleven attempts, two away from leading the team, and showed defensive ability at third base as well; ending the year with a .945 fielding percentage. However, in Rice's last game, in the Baton Rouge Super Regional, Rendon suffered an ankle injury that required surgery.
As a sophomore in 2010, he was the winner of the
Dick Howser Trophy
The Dick Howser Trophy is bestowed annually to the national college baseball player of the year. The award is named after former collegiate and Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager Dick Howser, who died as the result of brain cancer on ...
and was ''Baseball America's'' College Player of the Year, becoming the first underclassman in a decade to win the award. Additionally, he was named the
Rawlings Sporting Goods National Player of the Year,
Conference USA
Conference USA (CUSA) is a collegiate athletic conference of member institutions in the Southern and Western United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. CUSA's offices are located in Dallas, Texas.
Mem ...
Male Athlete of the Year, District VII Player of the Year, First Team All-American, All-south Region, Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Austin Regional, All-Conference USA,
All-Conference USA Tournament, and Conference USA Academic Honor Roll. He is also only the second player to be named Conference USA Player of the Year twice. He finished the season hitting .394 with 26 home runs and 85 runs batted in, again starting in every one of the Owls' 63 games. Rendon's 26 home runs were the second-highest single season total in school history; the only other Owl to hit more home runs in a year was
Lance Berkman. In his sophomore campaign, Rendon hit more home runs (26) than he struck out (22), and his walks (65) nearly tripled his strikeout total. Again, Rendon flashed the leather, raising his fielding percentage to .978, making only four errors at third base. After his Rice season ended, Rendon was invited to represent his country playing on the international circuit for Team USA. He suffered another right ankle injury in the first game against
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
.
Houston mayor Annise Parker declared June 29, 2010, to be "Anthony Rendon Day" in Houston.
Rendon was a member of
Wiess College while at Rice.
Professional career
Washington Nationals
The
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
selected Rendon in the first round, with the sixth overall selection, of the
2011 Major League Baseball draft
The 2011 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2011, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Gerrit Cole out of the University of California, Los Angeles, with the firs ...
.
Following the 2012 season, many scouts rated Rendon as the best prospect in the Nationals organization and one of the top prospects in MLB.
2013
Rendon started the
2013 season with the Double-A
Harrisburg Senators
The Harrisburg Senators are a Minor League Baseball team who play in the Eastern League, and are the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. The team is based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and play their home games at FNB Field on Cit ...
. He was called up by the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
on April 20 when
Ryan Zimmerman
Ryan Wallace Zimmerman (born September 28, 1984) is an American former professional baseball infielder who spent his entire 17-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Washington Nationals. Zimmerman graduated from Floyd E. Kellam High S ...
was placed on the disabled list. Rendon was optioned back to the Harrisburg Senators when Zimmerman came off the disabled list on May 3.
Rendon was recalled by the Nationals on June 4, 2013, and replaced second baseman
Danny Espinosa. Days later, on June 15, Rendon clubbed his first major league home run off
Vinnie Pestano
Vincent "Vinnie" William Pestano (born February 20, 1985) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Angels.
Professional career Cleveland Indian ...
of the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
. The ninth-inning solo shot put the Nationals on top and they won 7–6.
Rendon finished the season with the Nationals, putting up a .265/.329/.396 triple slash with seven home runs across 98 games with the major league club.
2014
After playing mostly
second base
In baseball and softball, second baseman, abbreviated 2B, is a fielding position in the infield, between second and first base. The second baseman often possesses quick hands and feet, needs the ability to get rid of the ball quickly, and must ...
the previous year, Rendon was moved back to his "natural position" as the Nationals'
third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the Baseball scorekeep ...
in the
2014 season. The year would be a breakout one for Rendon, who led the
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
in runs scored, with 111, while putting up a .287/.351/.473 slash line, hitting 21 home runs and stealing 17 bases over the course of the season. Rendon placed fifth in
National League Most Valuable Player voting and was awarded a
Silver Slugger
The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League (AL) and the National League (NL), as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball (MLB).
T ...
for his performance as a top-hitting third baseman. He ranked second among National League position players in
wins above replacement, just behind
Andrew McCutchen of the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
.
While Rendon emerged as a key cog in the Nationals' offense during the season, his prowess in the playoffs was noteworthy as well, as he hit .368 in the
2014 National League Division Series against the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
.
2015
Rendon sprained the
medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament (MCL), also called the superficial medial collateral ligament (sMCL) or tibial collateral ligament (TCL), is one of the major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial (inner) side of the knee joint and occurs in ...
in his left knee early during spring training in 2015, and then strained an oblique muscle while on a rehab assignment with the Class-AA
Harrisburg Senators
The Harrisburg Senators are a Minor League Baseball team who play in the Eastern League, and are the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. The team is based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and play their home games at FNB Field on Cit ...
, being shut down on May 4. Rendon finally returned to major league action on June 4, 2015, but found himself moved back to
second base
In baseball and softball, second baseman, abbreviated 2B, is a fielding position in the infield, between second and first base. The second baseman often possesses quick hands and feet, needs the ability to get rid of the ball quickly, and must ...
, with the job of everyday
third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the Baseball scorekeep ...
being held down by new acquisition
Yunel Escobar.
Rendon was part of a spectacular defensive play in an August 15, 2015, game against the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
. A sharp grounder off the bat of
Brandon Crawford was deflected off the glove of first baseman
Clint Robinson, caroming high into the air. Playing deep on the infield shift, Rendon made a barehand grab on the deflected ball and fired to pitcher
Felipe Rivero, who gloved it while diving across the first base bag to retire Crawford. Giants broadcasters
Duane Kuiper and
Mike Krukow
Michael Edward Krukow (born January 21, 1952), nicknamed "Kruk", is an American sportscaster and former professional baseball player. As a starting pitcher, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and ...
described the play as one of the greatest they had ever seen.
All in all, Rendon played in just 80 regular-season games in 2015 and put up a .264/.344/.363 slash line. His power was noticeably sapped following the oblique injury, as he hit just five home runs over the course of the season.
2016
Rendon returned to form with a batting line over the course of the
2016 season closely mimicking his 2014 campaign, hitting .270/.348/.450 with 20 home runs. He avoided spending any time on the disabled list, appearing in all but six regular-season games for the Nationals and exclusively playing
third base
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
, with Escobar traded to the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. Since 1966, the team has pl ...
during the off-season.
On September 6, 2016, Rendon hit his first career grand slam off
Williams Perez, which provided the Nationals with a winning margin of victory over the division rival
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
in the 9–7 contest.
For his improved performance during the season, Rendon was named the
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
Comeback Player of the Year.
2017
On April 30,
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
, Rendon went six-for-six with three home runs and 10 RBI in a 23–5 win over the division rival
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
. He became the 13th major leaguer with 10 or more RBI in one game while setting a Nationals record. He became the third player in major league history to attain both six hits and ten RBI in the same game, following
Jim Bottomley
James Leroy Bottomley (April 23, 1900 – December 11, 1959) was an American professional baseball first baseman, Scout (sport), scout and Manager (baseball), manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman from 1922 to 19 ...
(1924) and
Walker Cooper
William Walker Cooper (January 8, 1915 – April 11, 1991) was an American professional baseball catcher and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1940 to 1957, most notably as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals with who ...
(1949).
Despite leading all
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
position players in
wins above replacement during the first half of the season, Rendon was not selected to participate in the
All-Star Game
An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...
. He was one of the options in the "final vote" but lost out to
Justin Turner of the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
. Despite the All-Star snub, Rendon was named as Player of the Week in the
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
on July 17, 2017, for the week abbreviated by the All-Star break. It was his first time so honored. Rendon hit .636 during the week with three home runs to earn the award. In 2017, he batted .301/.403/.533 with 25 home runs.
2018
In 2018, Rendon batted .308 (4th in the NL)/.374/.535 (7th in the NL) with 24 home runs, and led the National League with 44 doubles.
2019
Prior to the 2019 season, Rendon indicated a willingness to sign an extension with the Nationals. In September 2019, the Nationals reportedly offered him a seven-year extension worth $210-215 million.
Rendon was selected to the
2019 MLB All-Star Game for the first time in his career. Rendon said he was honored to be chosen, but opted not to attend the game in Cleveland in order to recover from minor injuries.
In 2019, Rendon batted .319/.412/.598 with 34 home runs, led the NL with 44 doubles for the second year in a row, and led the majors in RBIs (126). He had the best walks/strikeouts ratio in the NL (0.93), and made contact with the highest percentage of pitches he swung at (88.3%) of all NL batters.
He also hit for a 1.003
OPS in the postseason to help lead the Nationals to their first
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
championship. He hit key home runs in Games 6 and 7 of the World Series and his 8 RBIs for the 2019 World Series were the most by a Nationals player.
Following the 2019 World Series, Rendon and Nationals star pitcher
Stephen Strasburg
Stephen James Strasburg (; born July 20, 1988) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who spent his entire 13-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Washington Nationals. He is a three-time Major League Baseball All-Star G ...
both entered free agency. Owner Mark Lerner had indicated that the team would not be able to afford to sign both players.
Los Angeles Angels
On December 11, 2019, Rendon agreed to a 7-year, $245 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels, two days after the Nationals signed Strasburg to a similar deal. He was formally introduced as an Angel on December 14, 2019. Rendon's 6.7
Wins Above Replacement (WAR) in 2019 ranked only behind
Mike Trout
Michael Nelson Trout (born August 7, 1991) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). Trout is an 11-time Major League Baseball All-Star Game, All-Star, three-time American League (A ...
's 8.4 WAR and above all Angels' players except Trout from 2012 to 2019.
2020
On July 28, 2020, Rendon made his Angels debut in the shortened 60 game season. In Rendon's first 12 games with the Angels, he went 28 plate appearances without getting a hit. He ended the hitless streak on August 10, 2020, hitting a home run off of
Sean Manaea of the Oakland Athletics. That same night, he recorded his 1000th MLB career hit.
In a Covid-shortened 52 game season in 2020, Rendon batted .286/.418/.497 with 9 home runs and 31 RBIs, and tied for the AL lead by grounding into 10 double plays.
2021
On April 12, Rendon was placed on the 10-day injured list after suffering a groin strain. On May 5, Rendon was placed on the 10-day injured list for the second time after suffering a left knee contusion. On June 7, Rendon notched his 600th career RBI with an RBI single off of
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
starter
Jackson Kowar. On July 6, Rendon was placed on the injured list for the third time after suffering a left hamstring strain. The Angels would later announce on August 4 that Rendon would have season ending surgery to repair a right hip impingement. He finished the season batting .240/.329/.382 in 58 games.
2022
On May 10, 2022, during
Reid Detmers' no-hitter, Rendon hit his first left-handed home run, against
position player
In baseball, a position player is a player who on defense plays as an infielder, outfielder, or catcher. A pitcher is generally not considered a position player. A designated hitter, who bats but does not play any defensive position, is also not ...
pitcher
Brett Phillips. This was also the first time Rendon batted left-handed in a major league game. For the next game, Angels manager
Joe Maddon
Joseph John Maddon (born February 8, 1954) is an American former professional baseball manager (baseball), manager and coach. He has managed the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB).
After playing ...
listed Rendon as a switch hitter. On June 17, the Angels stated that Rendon would undergo surgery on his right wrist, for which he was expected to miss the remainder of the season. On June 26, Rendon was part of a
bench-clearing brawl
A bench-clearing brawl is a form of fighting that occurs in sports, most notably baseball and ice hockey, where most or all players on both teams leave their Dugout (baseball), dugouts, bullpens, or benches, and charge onto the playing area in or ...
between the Angels and
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
. After Mariners outfielder
Jesse Winker was hit by a pitch thrown by
Andrew Wantz
Andrew Hunter Wantz (born October 13, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels, for whom he made his MLB debut in 202 ...
, Winker charged the Angels' dugout. During the ensuing brawl, Rendon struck Winker in the face with his non-injured left hand while wearing a cast on his right hand. He received a five-game suspension for his involvement in the brawl. Despite the original expectation that Rendon would be out for the remainder of the 2022 season, the Angels activated him from the injured list on September 28 and he began serving his suspension. He returned to the Angels lineup on October 3 to play the final three games of the season against the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
. He finished the season batting .229 with five home runs and 24 RBIs in 47 games.
2023
On April 3, 2023, Rendon was involved in a physical confrontation with a fan after the Angels' Opening Day game against the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
. As shown in video footage, while the Angels were walking to the clubhouse, Rendon grabbed an Athletics fan by his shirt and accused him of heckling him during the game, which the fan repeatedly denied in the moment. Rendon proceeded to say profanities to the fan, and attempted to slap him before leaving with the team. Rendon received a four-game suspension for the incident and was also fined an undisclosed amount.
2024
In 2024, Rendon hit .267 in 19 games before suffering a left hamstring strain while attempting to beat out a ground ball on April 20, 2024. After the injury was diagnosed as a high–grade partial tear, Rendon was transferred to the 60–day injured list on May 9. He was activated from the injured list on July 8. He returned to the injured list yet again on July 30. After returning to the Angels in early August, Rendon made yet another trip to the injured list with an oblique injury on September 10. This was the 11th time Rendon landed on the injured list in his first five seasons with the Angels.
While on the field, Rendon put together a fourth consecutive subpar season with the Angels, after signing a contract that (as of October 2024) ranks as the 39th-most lucrative contract in sports history. In the 57 games he appeared in during the 2024 season, Rendon failed to hit a single home run and compiled a .218 batting average in 206 at bats.
2025
On February 12, 2025, at the beginning of spring training, it was announced that Rendon would miss an extended period of time due to hip surgery.
Personal life
Rendon is frequently described by sports media as quiet and modest, qualities that when combined with his strong all-around offensive and defensive performance as an infielder for the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
have led some, including 2016–17 Nationals manager
Dusty Baker
Johnnie B "Dusty" Baker Jr. (born June 15, 1949) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and Manager (baseball), manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for 19 seasons, most notably with the Los Angeles Dodgers. D ...
, to dub him one of the most "underrated" players in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
.
Explaining his philosophy on
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
to ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' during spring training in 2017, Rendon said, "Obviously, I want to win, but at the same time, at the end of the day, it’s a game and that’s what I’m going to treat it as."
He claimed in a 2014 interview with the ''Post'' that he prefers watching the
History Channel
History (formerly and commonly known as the History Channel) is an American pay television television broadcaster, network and the flagship channel of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney General Entertainme ...
to baseball, calling the games "too long and boring".
Rendon and his wife Amanda have four children together. On July 26, 2018, Rendon took leave from the Nationals for several days to attend to the birth of his first child. They reside in
Katy, Texas
Katy is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in the Greater Katy area, itself forming the western part of the Greater Houston metropolitan area. Homes and businesses may have Katy postal addresses without being in the City of Katy. The city ...
during the offseason, and in
Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach is a coastal city of about 85,000 in southern Orange County, California, United States. Located about southeast of downtown Los Angeles, Newport Beach is known for its sandy beaches. The city's harbor once supported maritime indu ...
during the season.
An avid
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
fan, Rendon follows the
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
, his hometown
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
team.
He has maintained close ties to the
Houston area. In the aftermath of
Hurricane Harvey
Hurricane Harvey was a devastating tropical cyclone that made landfall in Texas and Louisiana in August 2017, causing catastrophic flooding and more than 100 deaths. It is tied with 2005's Hurricane Katrina as the costliest tropical cy ...
in August 2017, Rendon and then-Nationals teammate
Matt Albers
Matthew James Albers (born January 20, 1983) is an Americans, American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Indi ...
, a fellow
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
ian, set up a ''
YouCaring
YouCaring was a crowdfunding website for personal, medical, and charitable causes. The company was a B Corporation (certification), Certified B corporation based in San Francisco, California. YouCaring did not take a percentage of funds raised on ...
'' fundraiser page to raise money for donations to the
Houston Food Bank.
Rendon is a born-again
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
. He stated in a 2018 interview, "at the end, I want to be more ‘Christian’ than ‘baseball player.’"
See also
*
List of Major League Baseball annual runs scored leaders
Major League Baseball recognizes runs scored leaders in the American League and National League each season. In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances safely around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching ...
*
List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders
In baseball, a Hit (baseball), hit is credited to a Batting (baseball), batter when he reaches first base – or Extra-base hit, any subsequent base – Safe (baseball), safely after hitting a fair ball, without the benefit of an Error (baseball) ...
*
List of Major League Baseball single-game runs batted in leaders
References
External links
Rice Owls bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rendon, Anthony
1990 births
Living people
All-American college baseball players
American baseball players of Mexican descent
Auburn Doubledays players
Baseball players from Fort Bend County, Texas
Christians from Texas
Gulf Coast Nationals players
Harrisburg Senators players
Lamar High School (Houston) alumni
Los Angeles Angels players
Major League Baseball third basemen
National League All-Stars
National League RBI champions
Sportspeople from Richmond, Texas
Potomac Nationals players
Rice Owls baseball players
Salt River Rafters players
Silver Slugger Award winners
Syracuse Chiefs players
Washington Nationals players
21st-century American sportsmen