From World Series hero to Angels’ afterthought: The rise and fall of Anthony Rendon

In the fall of 2019, the Washington Nationals accomplished the unimaginable and stunned the Houston Astros in the World Series. The ’19 Fall Classic required seven games to decide a winner, but third baseman Anthony Rendon and his teammates found a way to take care of business. Rendon was fresh off a regular season that saw him finish third in National League MVP voting after leading the league in both home runs (44) and RBI (126). It was a magical season in Washington that finished with a storybook ending.

For Rendon, the situation was about to get even sweeter, as he had one of the best contract years in recent memory. Heading into free agency, Rendon was expected to be among the highest-paid players.

It was a heck of a time to be Anthony Rendon.

He ultimately landed a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Angels that offseason. The Halos had not earned a postseason appearance since 2014, but a roster that consisted of Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Rendon was surely destined to snap the drought, right?

Right?

Well, it all came to a crashing halt on Tuesday after years of disappointment for the third baseman in Anaheim. The Angels and Rendon reportedly agreed to a contract restructure — effectively ending his tenure with the ball club. Meanwhile, the team’s playoff drought is still alive and well.

From World Series hero to an afterthought with the Angels, what exactly went wrong for Rendon in Southern California?

Anthony Rendon’s disappointment with Angels

Rendon and the Angels had a lot of hype heading into 2020 spring training, but then the COVID-19 pandemic shocked the entire world and delayed the start of the MLB season. MLB would ultimately resume later during the summer, but it ended up being a shortened 60-game campaign. Rendon, with no fans in the stands, enjoyed his best statistical season as a member of the Angels, hitting .286 to go along with a .915 OPS across 52 games played.

He ended up finishing 10th in American League MVP voting.

Injuries and underperformance would unfortunately tell the story of Rendon’s next five years with the Angels. The most games he played in a Halos jersey was 58, something he accomplished in 2021. The highest batting average he recorded from 2021-2024 was .240, and he never hit more than six home runs in a season during that span. Rendon failed to play a single game in 2025.

Some of Rendon’s most memorable moments with the ball club were considered lowlights in all reality. In 2022, he was involved in a bench-clearing brawl after previously undergoing wrist surgery. Mariners outfielder Jesse Winker was hit by a pitch, and he charged the Angels dugout which resulted in Rendon striking Winker with his non-injured hand.

Video via Angels News:

Anthony Rendon and Jesse Winker’s part of the Angels/Mariners brawl #2022

Requested by: @333Umpa pic.twitter.com/PorN4jy8Gp

— Angels News (@AngelsNews27) December 13, 2024

Then, of course, there was the fan altercation in Oakland in 2023. While walking to the clubhouse after an Angels-Athletics game, Rendon was seen grabbing a fan — who had seemingly been trash-talking him — by the shirt and saying something to him.

Video via Barstool Baseball:

New angle of Anthony Rendon vs A’s fan just dropped pic.twitter.com/D67OGs1Wob

— Barstool Baseball (@StoolBaseball) April 1, 2023

Incidents such as these rubbed some fans the wrong way. Rendon’s inability to stay on the field also frustrated fans — but injuries are part of the game. However, Rendon made comments in 2024 that led some to question his love for the sport.

“This has never been a top priority,” Rendon said before the 2024 season, via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. “This is a job. I do this to make a living. My faith and my family come first before this job. So if those things come before it, I’ll move on.”

Of course, valuing faith and family above the sport is completely fine. However, his decision to say baseball “has never been a top priority” when he had not appeared in more than 58 games in a single season with the Angels was destined to further frustrate the fanbase.

Worst contract of all-time?

From a talent standpoint, Anthony Rendon ranks among the league’s best. His love for the game has been questioned, though. Between injuries, altercations standing out more than performance, and his perceived lack of a desire to play, Rendon’s contract will go down as one of the worst deals in the history of the sport.

For his career with the Angels, Rendon slashed just .242/.348/.369 to go along with 22 home runs, 50 doubles and a .717 OPS. It goes without saying, but those numbers don’t come even close to living up to Rendon’s $245 million contract performance expectations.

It’s a sad ending for Rendon and the Angels. Once an MVP candidate and a World Series hero with the Nationals in Washington, Rendon’s legacy in Anaheim will be forever tarnished based on what transpired with the Angels over the past five years.

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