MLB: The most valued third baseman of 2019
By Bill Felber
MLB: The most valued third baseman of 2019
2. Anthony Rendon, Nationals, $8.153 million value; $18.8 million salary
With players of the caliber of Arenado, Rendon and Bregman, it’s understood that their salary reflects their value on the open market as opposed to their value on the playing field. The differences between those two numbers are real and often substantial, and they explain why Rendon could command $26 million to $38 million annually through 2026 from the Angels despite the physical impossibility of returning any amount approximating that much in actual on-field value.
What Rendon did deliver to Washington in 2019 was a World Series winner, the translatable value of which is incalculable. With 81 extra-base hits, 34 of them home runs, and a league-leading 126 RBIs, he fashioned a 1.010 OPS that carried him to third place in the Most Valuable Player Award voting between the National League’s two icons Cody Bellinger and Christian Yelich.
In his head-to-head contest with Bregman, Rendon actually had a slight edge in the most important category, slugging. His .598 average was the position’s best, amounting to $5.071 million in real value. His .412 on-base average ranked second behind Bregman, adding $1.618 million to his value.
In the field, Rendon had marginally the better of it. His .969 fielding average ranked only 13th among third basemen, a few points above the position average, and good for $669,000. He played 1,265 innings, 10th best at the position, adding a final $795,000 to his worth.
That left him a mere $13,000 behind Bregman. How small an amount is that? Had Rendon played 20 more innings and made one fewer error, he would be ranked first on this list.