Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon snapped his 0-for-21 begin to the season on Friday evening, recording an infield single in the course of the sixth inning of Los Angeles’ 8-6 house opener loss to the Boston Purple Sox (field rating). Rendon, who didn’t play after July 4 final season due to a fractured tibia, had not recorded successful in his earlier 24 at-bats. For these preserving rely, that is both 277 or 278 days, relying in your time zone, between his final hit of the 2023 marketing campaign and first hit of the 2024 season.
Here is Rendon’s slump-ending hit in all its transferring image glory:
Whereas it isn’t Rendon’s fault that he missed the second half of final season due to harm — and he is undoubtedly a greater participant than his early struggles point out — it is honest to notice that loads has modified in Main League Baseball over that span. With that in thoughts, we have highlighted 5 notable developments which have taken place in MLB between Rendon’s hits. Do observe that that is meant to be lighthearted slightly than meanspirited. Accidents and slumps occur in baseball, and the world retains spinning; that is simply life for you.
As famous above, Rendon’s final hit fell on July 3. Virtually per week later, on July 9, the Angels drafted Schanuel from Florida Atlantic College with the No. 11 choose. He subsequently made his MLB debut on Aug. 18 because the Angels tried to make a playoff push. That attempt didn’t succeed. He is since reached base in all 36 of his profession MLB video games, together with Friday evening. Though there are questions on Schanuel’s slugging potential based mostly on his outcomes to this point, it is exhausting to categorise what he is executed as far as disappointing.
2. Shohei Ohtani gained his second MVP Award …
Ohtani, after all, had a superb 2023 marketing campaign. He posted a 184 OPS+ as a hitter and a 142 ERA+ as a pitcher, tallying an estimated 9.9 Wins Above Substitute total, in line with Baseball Reference — and that was regardless of lacking many of the season’s closing month as each a hitter and a pitcher. Ohtani was rewarded for his wonderful efficiency along with his second profession Most Worthwhile Participant Award, the seventh in Angels franchise historical past.
3. … and left as a part of Dodgers‘ $1 billion greenback offseason
And but, Ohtani was not in attendance for Rendon’s first hit since final July on Friday evening. As a substitute, he was in Chicago along with his new Los Angeles Dodgers teammates, having signed an historic free-agent deal over the winter. The Dodgers spent greater than $1 billion over the offseason, signing Ohtani, right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto and others in pursuit of their second World Sequence title of the previous 5 years. Will that aggressiveness repay? We’ll discover out this fall.
4. The Rangers gained franchise’s first World Sequence
Maybe that is low-hanging fruit, however we’ll justify it by noting that the Rangers are an American League West foe of the Angels’. Anyway, the Rangers grew to become world champions for the primary time in franchise historical past final fall. They took the tough path to their first parade, too, incomes a wild-card berth after which successful 4 collection alongside the best way. That included sweeps in opposition to the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles, in addition to a aggressive collection in opposition to the Houston Astros earlier than they secured the World Sequence in 5 video games in opposition to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
5. Athletics‘ multi-step relocation
Consider it or not, the Athletics technically handed two relocation plans between Rendon’s most up-to-date two hits. The most recent improvement will see them transfer to Sacramento, for at the least the following three seasons starting subsequent spring. That deal consists of an possibility for the fourth 12 months, simply in case their new stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, is not full by that time. Their transfer to Las Vegas, by the best way, was accepted by MLB house owners final fall. It isn’t but a very executed deal, however the A’s positive are banking on it getting throughout the end line.
