3 Angels players we can lower the bar for in 2024

2) Anthony Rendon

This past season felt like Anthony Rendon's last chance to prove himself to Angels fans. Yes, the injuries and underperforming seasons were annoying, but you could still see the talent in glimpses and management had talked him up to a point where at least some fans had bought in.

Rendon actually got off to a solid start this past season. No, he wasn't hitting for any power and his defense was atrocious, but Rendon was getting on base a ton and was doing something virtually nobody else on the team was doing. Hitting in the clutch.

He played well for the first month and a half of the season before his first injury occurred. After that, things just went downhill from there. Rendon played a bit in June and July but struggled and then a shin injury ended his season prematurely once again. For those keeping score at home that's three straight season-ending injuries for their highest-paid player.

Forget the fact that Rendon is always hurt. When healthy, he hasn't been close to what Angels fans envisioned. The last three years have seen him slash .235/.338/.364 with 13 home runs and 80 RBI total. He's been a below-average hitter in the last three years which is just beyond unacceptable.

Expecting anything different this season from Rendon would be foolish. He has yet to play more than 58 games in a season in an Angels uniform. He has yet to hit 10 home runs in a season in an Angels uniform. He'll begin the season as the team's third baseman and might look good at the start, but expecting him to be both healthy and productive is simply not wise.