Reinstated from the injured list ahead of Tuesday’s game, Rendon answered earnestly when asked whether his team feels heightened pressure to produce more wins and catch up in the standings.
“No, not really,” Rendon said. “Because to be honest, this organization sucked for so long. We haven’t made the playoffs in a long time and I take that burden too, even if I wasn’t there for those years.
“I came into this organization and I want to win and we all want to win,” he continued. “That’s what everyone wants to tell you. There’s no extra pressure. We just need to win now.”
It has not been all bad. Through their struggles, like the instances of starting pitchers faltering, the bullpen unraveling at the worst possible moments or defensive miscues or errors, some of which are attributed to Rendon (seven errors in 2023), the Angels are seventh in the American League.
The Angels entered Tuesday five games out of a wild-card spot, nine games behind the first-place Texas Rangers and third in the AL West.
“We gotta do the little things,” Rendon said. “Little things add up to big things. I always tell these guys, ‘Hey, we gotta get at least, at a minimum 15 wins a month,’ You do the math… We’re gonna have a good chance at the end of the season to be in the hunt, to be able to play in October.
“We haven’t been playing the best, but we’ve hit the bare minimum. I need to push these guys a little bit more to at least get at least maybe 16 or 17 wins [a month], so just gotta keep grinding.”
His assessment was blunt but not accusatory. Rendon is as driven as the rest of his team and wants to win and contribute however he can.
When the Angels were fitting together the pieces of their puzzle in the offseason, Rendon factored heavily into the team’s plans, not just for what he does on the field, but also for what he offers off of it.
(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)
An All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger, not to mention one of few players in the clubhouse who has won a World Series, Rendon is a respected leader because his advice and input come from experience.
It’s why some of the youngest players call him a role model. Rookie catcher Logan O’Hoppe once said “When Tony talks, I listen.” And rookie shortstop Zach Neto considers Rendon like a big brother.
Rendon’s mistakes on the field and slow offensive production were to be expected, considering he hasn’t played close to a full season since 2019, his last season with the Washington Nationals.
The frustration was plain on his face as those struggles played out, but Rendon’s season seemed like it was turning around, his bat heating up at the end of April. His first 15 games, he was batting .235 with a .618 on-base-plus-slugging rate. It improved to .365 with a .946 OPS in his last 15 before hitting the IL.
“If I’m on that field, I put that jersey on, I expect to be perfect. That’s me,” Rendon said. “I want to be the best person out there.”
There are still elements of grace. In his return Tuesday, he knew his contributions would need to be seen before being evaluated.
“We’ll see how long it takes to get back into a groove,” Rendon said. “Hopefully it doesn’t take too long.”