Nats positional preview: Third base

Two words: Anthony Rendon.

All he did was finish fifth in the National League MVP voting and win a Silver Slugger Award in just his second season in the majors. Rendon led all NL third baseman with a .287 batting average, slugging percentage (.473) and OPS (.824). He added 39 doubles, six triples, 21 home runs and 83 RBIs, and his 111 runs scored were the most in the league. Rendon also had 17 steals in 20 attempts. The 24-year-old hit .368 (7-for-19) in the National League Division Series.

Rendon made a fairly quick transition to being considered one of the game's elite after he was drafted by the Nationals with the sixth overall pick in 2011. After making his major league debut in April 2013, Rendon went on to hit .265 with seven home runs and 35 RBIs in 98 games, playing mostly at second base in his rookie season. He started last season at second base, but after injury sent Ryan Zimmerman to the disabled list long-term, Rendon moved over to third base, where he played the rest of the way.

It's fair to expect another Silver Slugger for Rendon in 2015 and if he continues on this pace, he may need to make room for even bigger awards sooner rather than later.

Should Rendon need a day off or suffer an injury, his likely replacements at third base would be Kevin Frandsen, Danny Espinosa and Zimmerman.

Frandsen started 12 games at third base last season and has played 124 games at the position in his seven seasons in the majors. The versatile Frandsen hit .259 with one home run and 17 RBIs while playing four different positions in 2014.

Espinosa has never played a major league game at third base. It shouldn't be a hard transition for him if he's called on considering he's been an above-average defensive player during his five seasons. His struggles at the plate are well-documented and they continued in 2014, when he hit just .219 with 122 strikeouts in 114 games.

Zimmerman won two Silver Sluggers, a Gold Glove and was an All-Star at third base. This season, he officially passes the torch to Rendon at the hot corner while moving across the diamond to first base. It would most likely take a serious injury to Rendon for Zimmerman to get any lengthy time back at his old position.

The Nats signed Ian Stewart to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Stewart made the Angels' opening day roster last season and appeared in 24 games before a left hand contusion sent him to the disabled list. He has primarily played third base during his seven major league seasons with three teams. The 29-year-old saw his best years in Colorado, including 25 home runs and 70 RBIs in 2009.