Washington Nationals: Creating the ultimate superstar

With his cool, relaxed demeanor, it makes sense that Anthony Rendon is a slick defender at third base. He has range in both directions, the agility to attack a slow roller, and the arm to complete any throw across the diamond. He can make the highlight play or the routine grounder.

In 2017, Rendon finished with just seven errors, including only one fielding error, which were both the fewest among regular third basemen. Check out his 2017 defensive highlight reel.

There is not a play Rendon can’t make. He has every stop and throw in his arsenal, and the creativity to make bang-bang plays from different arm slots. Third base may not provide the same grinding opportunities defensively that catcher and shortstop do each game, but there is a certain level of crazy needed that sets third base apart from the rest of the infield.

You try standing 90 feet from the world’s best hitters while they smack lasers your way. Pretty unsettling.

And somehow, with just fractions of a second of reaction time, Rendon manages to glove nearly every single ball. Rendon is the best defender on the Nationals, and has a claim as one of the top five defensive players in baseball.