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Nationals: Top 3 Opening Day performances in team history

By James Simmons

The Washington Nationals 2019 World Series pennant is shown prior to their Opening Day game against the New York Yankees at Nationals Park on July 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. The 2020 season had been postponed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
The Washington Nationals 2019 World Series pennant is shown prior to their Opening Day game against the New York Yankees at Nationals Park on July 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. The 2020 season had been postponed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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Anthony Rendon was a great draft pick by the Washington Nationals.
Anthony Rendon #6 of the Washington Nationals looks on during batting practice prior to Game Seven of the 2019 World Series against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on October 30, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

Number 1: Anthony Rendon 2014

Rendon: 2-5, 1 double, 1 home run, 1 run scored, 4 RBI

Anthony Rendon would finish fifth in the Most Valuable Player voting at the end of the 2014 season, and the hot hitting began on day one. The player affectionally known as Tony Two Bags smoked a double for his first hit of the 2014 campaign. Batting in the eight spot and playing second base, the jury was still out on how much the second year player from Rice University would contribute. The verdict came back soon enough.

As the Opening Day game with the New York Mets went back and forth, the Nats found themselves down by a run heading into the final frame. Rendon came to the plate with a runner on base and one out, with the chance to be the hero. He struck out. Denard Span followed with a run scoring double and the game went into extra innings.

Striding to the plate with a chance to redeem himself the following inning, Rendon smacked the first pitch he saw (from former National John Lannan) over the left field wall for a three-run home run. Rendon put his mark on the game in a big way and sent the Nationals faithful home happy on Opening Day.

Next. Michael A. Taylor's Instagram post. dark

Rendon would go on to score a league best 111 runs that year, while hitting 39 doubles and winning a Silver Slugger Award. His destruction of the league began on day one of the season and continued to the end.

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