Nationals’ Anthony Rendon named NL Comeback Player of the Year

Anthony Rendon’s 2015 campaign didn’t start until early June as he dealt with an MCL sprain suffered early in Spring Training and an oblique injury suffered as he rehabbed from the knee injury.

He also suffered a left quadriceps strain in late June that led to another DL stint.

Rendon later admitted that he was never able to get completely comfortable at the plate in 2015.

"It was really tough,” Rendon said. “I think that's what a lot of people don't realize. I'm trying to come back and figure out how to hit again and everybody is already in mid-season form. All the pitchers, they're placing the ball, they're not just throwing the ball up there.”

He finished his third major league season with a .264/.344/.363 line, 16 doubles and five home runs in 80 games and 355 plate appearances, over which he was worth 0.9 fWAR, down from .287/.351/.473, 39 doubles and 21 homers in 153 games and 683 PAs in a 6.5 fWAR campaign in 2014.

Rendon came back healthy in 2016, and after a slow start (.242/.310/.286 in April), put up a .275/.355/.481 from May through October to finish the year with a .270/.348/.450 line, 38 doubles and 20 HRs in 156 games and 647 PAs, over which he was worth 4.7 fWAR.

Rendon led the Nationals in runs scored (91), finished second in hits (153) and doubles (38) and was third in RBIs (85).

He also finished the season ranked first among National League third baseman with a .976 fielding percentage and was a finalist for the NL Gold Glove at third base.

This afternoon, the infielder was named the NL’s Comeback Player of the Year as voted on by the 30 club beat reporters at MLB.com.

As the Nationals noted in a press release, “Rendon is the second player in Nationals history (2005-present) to earn this award, joining Dmitri Young, who took it home for his 2007 season.”