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Washington Nationals Player of the Week: Anthony Rendon

By Pablo Roa

Jul 30, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon (6) celebrates with third base coach Bob Henley (13) after hitting a home run during the third inning of the game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 30, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon (6) celebrates with third base coach Bob Henley (13) after hitting a home run during the third inning of the game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Anthony Rendon had a solid week at the plate last week, and for that he earns our Washington Nationals Player of the Week honors.

The Washington Nationals didn’t exactly have a standout week last week. They won three games in a row, but they also dropped three games to the Indians and Giants.

The biggest news of the week was the Nationals’ acquisition of All-Star closer Mark Melancon and the team’s historic triple-play against the Giants. But one player did stand out on the field, and that player was Anthony Rendon.

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Rendon has been inconsistent at the plate this season, but he really picked it up last week. Over his last seven games, the third baseman is hitting .320 with two home runs and six RBIs. He’s also scored three runs and been walked four times.

Of course, it wasn’t a perfect week for Rendon. After all, he made a costly throwing error and an equally costly mistake on the base paths in yesterday’s loss to the Giants. But he also had the team’s lone RBI.

A productive Rendon is absolutely crucial for the Nationals in the second half. The team didn’t acquire a bat before today’s non-waiver trade deadline, so the Nationals will have to make due with the options the offense has right now.

That means the team needs more than just Daniel Murphy and Bryce Harper succeeding in the middle of the order. It means that players like Ryan Zimmerman and Rendon have to step up far more than they already have.

The offense needs more consistency, and Rendon’s production (or lack thereof) will go a long way in determining whether or not the Nationals can accomplish that down the stretch.

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