Anthony Rendon

It would be fair at this point to call the Angels' 2019 signing of Rendon to a seven-year deal a disaster, as the once-feared slugger has spent more time on the injured list than on the field over his four seasons so far with the club. Over the past three campaigns, Rendon has played in a total of 148 games -- approximately the equivalent of one season -- and posted a modest .701 OPS with 13 homers and 80 RBI. The All-Star hasn't lost his elite eye at the plate, and last year he walked nearly as many times as he struck out (25:27 BB:K), but that isn't going to carry him far in fantasy circles given the diminished power and inability to stay healthy. Shohei Ohtani's departure to the Dodgers opens the door for Rendon to log substantial time at DH next season, giving him a better chance of avoiding more time on the injured list. Still, counting on a bounce-back from a player who will turn 34 in June and who has been a shell of his former self for three years doesn't seem like the wisest investment.

Rendon underwent right wrist surgery in June, effectively ending his season although he returned at the tail end of the campaign to serve a five-game suspension for his role in a brawl that occurred less than a week after his surgery. That's now behind him and so he enters 2023 with a clean slate, but how much he plays over the course of the season is anyone's guess. Rendon was limited to just 58 games in 2021 due to a variety of injury issues, with a hip injury ultimately requiring season-ending surgery, meaning he's played in just 105 games over the past two years. The Angels traded for Gio Urshela in the offseason, ostensibly to provide help around the infield but more to provide insurance for Rendon specifically.

Year 2 of Rendon's seven-year, $245 million deal with the Angels was a big disappointment. There was first word that Rendon was nursing an injury April 11, and he would make his first trip to the injured list a day later for a groin strain. He would return only to land back on the IL one week later with a knee contusion. Later it was his triceps and then a hamstring and finally a hip which ultimately required season-ending surgery in August. Take his 2021 sample and throw it in the trash can. It's meaningless to pick it apart around the injuries. Rendon has a 15.5 K%, 10.8 BB% and .197 ISO in close to 4,500 career MLB plate appearances. In November, the third baseman told MLB Network Radio that he expected to be ready for the start of spring training. Assuming better health, Rendon will rebound. He has two guys named Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani batting in front of him.

Rendon's first season with the Angels got off to a tepid start; he missed the first four games of the campaign with an oblique issue, then proceeded to go 4-for-49 through his first 12 contests. The veteran subsequently turned things around, however, posting a 1.008 OPS the rest of the way and finishing with a .286/.418/.497 slash line. While Rendon's .212 ISO and 6.3% barrel rate were each his lowest since 2016, he nonetheless trailed only Mike Trout for the team lead in both home runs (nine) and RBI (31) with more than half of the homers coming during a torrid six-game stretch in mid-August. Meanwhile, the 30-year-old notched a career-best 16.4 BB% and finished third in the majors with a 1.23 BB/K. Rendon may have hit his statistical peak in his MVP-caliber 2019 campaign, but he'll have ample opportunity for run production batting behind Trout and remains one of the most reliable bats in the game.

The secret is out: Rendon is really good at baseball. It took some luck and a national stage in the playoffs, but the cat is out of the bag. His career year netted him a seven-year, $245 million deal with the Angels. Rendon's skills were just a tick better than usual, but enough to elevate him to an elite level. A few extra flyballs and the ideal average flyball distance to take maximum advantage of the added 5-to-10 feet of travel combined to yield 34 homers, Rendon's first visit north of 30. His AVG increased for the fourth year in a row, helping Rendon smash his previous personal best in runs and RBI. Following a season of this nature, gravity usually takes hold, dragging production down a tad. Even so, Rendon has established a high, bankable floor, worthy of a high pick or healthy bid. World Series helium will raise the price. Pay for the reliability and stability, but don't pay for last year's stats.

Simply put, Rendon is a beast. Last year marked the second consecutive season in which he was 40% better than the league average, offensively, as he hit 40-plus doubles, 24-plus homers and had 180 runs-plus-RBI yet again. The health issues he had earlier in his career are mostly a thing of the past, but he has still had one thing or another put him on the disabled list for short stints each of the past two seasons. It would be nice if he could get over 30 homers, but not if it comes at the expense of batting average. He piles up the extra-base hits with hard contact and a consistent launch angle, and the data does not show any type of trend that suggests that's changing any time soon. Some variance in his HR/FB rate could lead to a huge year at some point. Rendon should not make it to the fifth round of your draft. If he does, grab him and hold onto him tightly.

The 27-year-old Rendon may be the most underrated player in baseball. He doesn't have insane power -- usually a prerequisite for third basemen in fantasy -- and his injury history continues to haunt him, but Rendon is a special hitter in one of baseball's best lineups. After a slow start, Rendon went off for six hits and 10 RBI on April 30 and never looked back, batting .306/.413/.560 the rest of the way. He finished fourth in the majors in BB/K with a 1.02 mark, behind Joey Votto, Justin Turner and Mike Trout, and 13th in wRC+. Rendon's counting numbers could have been even greater, but Dusty Baker insisted on batting Rendon primarily out of the six hole, with 248 of 508 at-bats coming from the No. 6 spot. New manager Dave Martinez would be wise to bat Rendon higher, but either way, Rendon should get his and earn $15-plus again in 2018.

Rendon rebounded nicely from his miserable, injury-plagued 2015, playing in a career-high 156 games and nearly duplicating his 2014 production. He also had his best defensive season at third base, and seems ready to settle in as a key part of a dangerous Nationals offense. The emergence of Trea Turner and the addition of Adam Eaton lock up the top two spots in the team's batting order, though, likely putting the 111 runs Rendon scored in 2014 out of reach. However, if he hits fifth behind the likes of Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy, he should top last year's career-high 85 RBI. His career-high 43.8 percent flyball rate in 2016 could be a sign that he's adding a little more loft to his line-drive swing. Until he proves he can string a couple of full campaigns together, health remains the biggest concern for Rendon, but if he can stay off the DL, the pieces appear to be in place for him to put forth another well-rounded campaign.

The wheels came off the 2015 Nationals in any number of ways, but a spring training knee injury for Rendon was the first indication that things would not go smoothly for the NL East favorites. A minor bump that was expected to be healed by Opening Day became a sprained MCL that kept him out of action for a month, and then an oblique strain suffered during his rehab assignment cost him another. He was never able to find his rhythm at the plate once he returned to the lineup. Rendon still has plenty of upside, and he could easily repeat or even improve upon his 2014 numbers, but the injury-prone label that accompanied him out of college is now firmly back in place. The Nats plan on returning him to third base this season, where he's more comfortable defensively, but considering he was originally hurt last March fielding a groundball at third, there's no guarantee the move will help him stay healthy.

Rendon's first full season in the majors was a resounding success. Not only did he begin to shake off the "injury-prone" label that had dogged him since college by playing in 153 games, he cranked out 21 home runs, swiped 17 bases on 20 attempts and slashed .287/.351/.473 while playing above-average defense at both second and third base and collecting a Silver Slugger Award at the latter position. Now established as one of the more exciting young players in baseball and a franchise cornerstone for the Nationals, the 24-year-old will likely settle in as the club's long-term solution at third base, with Ryan Zimmerman's ongoing shoulder issues forcing a move across the diamond. It's always possible, however, that the Nats could eventually acquire a third baseman and shift him back to the keystone. As ridiculous as it may seem, given Rendon's hit tool, plate discipline and developing power from the right side, Edgar Martinez comparisons aren't entirely out of line. The kid is legit.

As with Bryce Harper before him, the Nationals didn't require much convincing to find a regular spot for Rendon on the major league roster, but the results were far less impressive. He doesn't have Harper's upside (who does?) but at second base Rendon doesn't have to break any records to have fantasy value. That .319/.461/.603 Double-A line last year looks mighty fine, but he's more of a line drive machine than a middle-of-the-order monster and realistically the batting average is the only one of those numbers that might be sustainable in the majors.

After barely playing in his pro debut due to an ankle injury, Rendon tore apart the AFL and cleared up any confusion over who the best position prospect in the Nationals' system was. There is no clear room for him in the majors in the immediate future and for that matter there is still some question over whether his eventual defensive home will be third base, second base or somewhere else, so look for the team to give him a full season at Triple-A unless an injury opens up a spot for him in 2013.

Rendon was the Nationals' top draft choice in 2011 as the sixth pick overall. Coming into the draft he was at the top of many boards, but he fell because of concerns about his ankle and shoulder. Rendon is considered an above average defender at third base with a plus-arm when healthy. He has a terrific batting eye, leading the nation in walks at Rice, and he should be a good on-base threat and power hitter if he can stay healthy. Rendon could be in the majors by 2013 if he can fully recover from his injuries.