Mets series demonstrates Rendon's long-term value

By Byron Kerr

Nationals

September 15, 2014, 3:42am

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Third baseman Anthony Rendon had a memorable series against the Mets. With a base hit Sunday, Rendon finished with 11 hits in the four-game set.

He scored five runs and had two doubles, two homers and three RBIs. Overall, Rendon hit an amazing .579 (11-for-19) against the Mets over the four-game series. His season average is now .289 with 20 homers and 80 RBIs. Last season in 98 games, he had seven homers and 35 RBIs.

"Nats Xtra" co-host Ray Knight believes, as many scouts do, that Rendon will someday win a batting title. His hands are quick and strong to the ball and he makes smooth contact on almost everything swing. His defense has been equal to his offense, making a seamless transition from second base to third base when Ryan Zimmerman went down with a hamstring injury in July and before that when Zimmerman injured his thumb in Atlanta.

Rendon has also walked 53 times and had an on-base percentage of .350, so he has the ability to see pitches well, stay patient and force the pitcher to have to work to get him out. If Span is the No. 1 leadoff man for the Nationals, Rendon is 1A. The pair are a lethal one-two punch at the top of the order, a big reason why Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche are driving in a ton of runs and are hitting two-run and three-run shots instead of solo homers. Werth has 80 RBIs and LaRoche has 86 RBIs.

With Wilson Ramos hitting a home run in Sunday's 3-0 win, the Nationals have now hit at least one home run in 19 consecutive road games dating to the last game in cavernous Marlins Park on July 30. They hit a home run in every road park they played in so far in August and September. The Nationals have hit 38 home runs in those 19 games on the road.

In August, the Nationals' 40 homers were second to the Orioles (47) in the major leagues. In September, Detroit has 18 homers, and the Nationals and Orioles each have 17. So since August 1, the Nationals have hit 57 home runs out of their 143 for the season. Rendon has hit seven of his 20 homers since Aug. 1.