To see Anthony Rendon in the batter’s box is to see the personification of peace. Last year that zen lead to a World Series Championship for the Washington Nationals. At the beginning of the year he was what Simon and Garfunkel sang about in Central Park all those years ago: The Nationals’ rock, the Nationals’ island. Soon enough he transformed into Batman, with Juan Soto exploding into a high end Robin. Now Rendon has gone Mickey Mouse, signing a 7 year $245 Million contract with the Los Angeles Angels. After the signing Grey gave you his Anthony Rendon Fantasy, but what else can fantasy players expect in 2020?
First, The Bad News
Spoiler alert, there isn’t much. Nationals Park is friendly to right handed hitters. Angel Stadium is essentially neutral. So there’s reason to doubt he will meet or top the 34 home runs he hit last year. There’s also that buzz word when a player comes off a career year: Regression. If that sounds vague it is. He’s now 30, so he will regress, or so the thinking goes.
Now The Good Stuff
First, Rendon’s hard contact % was a robust 130. For perspective, the prior three years it was 118, 116, and 118. That produced 24, 25, and 20 home runs. However, his first full season in the big leagues he managed a 136 number. It only produced 21 home runs, but he was young and still learning his swing. The very next year he only played in 80 games because of strained left quad and a sprained left knee. For the swing to work, the legs and torso need to be in balance. It is possible, and likely probable, that last year he finally unlocked something in terms of health, swing path, and launch angle that resulted in higher hard contact going forward.
Second, he is now part of a big three. Whereas he was the main cog in the lineup machine in D.C., now he’s part of a cooperative. Mike Trout looms large. He’s the best hitter in the majors. Shohei Ohtani has been cleared to bat as he builds back up to pitching. In part time duty he’s hit 18 and 22 home runs the last two years. Rendon won’t be the focus of the opposing pitcher anymore. He’ll be free to barrel up a few more mistakes while the pitcher is worrying about someone else.
Third, this is one of the most reliable .300 hitters in the game. The last three years he’s been .301, .308, .319. He may not win the batting title, but consistent contact + men on base lead to RBI and runs scored. With the lineup assistance mentioned above this equals one of the better four category contributors in fantasy. He’s a regular quadruple threat!
Bid
Somehow this guy is overlooked. Maybe it’s that zen look on his face, maybe it’s that he’s not as good of a story as young Juan Soto or Bryce Harper before him. Seven years is perhaps too much in real life, but for 2020 this is one of the most stable batting skills in the game. But four high quality categories is worth an extra buck or two or five.
