Angels News: Anthony Rendon Wants to 'Prove Guys Wrong' This Year
Anthony Rendon hasn't exactly had a great start to his Angels tenure. He was signed to a massive seven-year, $245 million deal in 2019, and hasn't done anything to live up to it.
He's played a total of 157 games over the last three seasons, and played in just 47 for the club last year. In those 47 games, Rendon hit just .229 with five home runs and 24 RBIs.
The Angels signed Rendon after a season in which he won a Silver Slugger and finished third in MVP voting in the National League — so clearly, they expected a lot more from him. However, the 32-year-old reportedly feels healthy heading into the new season, and is ready to prove the doubters wrong.
"I don’t have social media, but a lot of my friends do, all my family does," Rendon said per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. "They’ll text me. They’re saying this. They’re saying that. So it definitely gets to me. I understand and I hear it and at times yeah, it pisses you off. I try not to let it go further than that. You just try to use it to continue to go on for the greater purpose."
Rendon's manager, Phil Nevin, echoed Rendon's thoughts.
"He’s certainly hearing the noise from a lot of people, and you can hear it in his voice, the way he talks that he’s ready to prove those guys wrong," Nevin said. "I will not be shocked if he comes out and he’s playing all of the time, he’s fine, back being Anthony Rendon, and the injuries are behind him."
That would be great news for the Halos, as they expect him to play a big role in 2023. As of now, Nevin expects Rendon to hit in the clean up spot, backing up the likes of former MVPs Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani in the lineup. He just needs to stay healthy.
"He says he feels as great as he has in a long time," Nevin said. "Our conversations this winter have been really good. Our workouts, he hasn’t missed anything. He’s ready to go. He’s excited. He’s at an age where he’s got a lot left, peak left. And he feels that way."
A healthy Rendon could be the X-Factor for a successful season in Anaheim, so Angels fans can hope that this is finally the year it all comes together.
