Nationals’ Anthony Rendon has higher priorities than playing in this week’s World Series

Anthony Rendon, like the rest of his teammates on the Washington Nationals, is playing in the World Series for the first time this week. After the season, he is expected to land a huge new contract as one of the most sought-after free agents on the market.

The third baseman posted the best statistics of his seven-year-career almost across the board in 2019, according to the website Sports Spectrum. The third baseman ended the regular season with 34 home runs, 126 RBI and a .319 batting average, which all were career-highs. He was the game’s RBI leader and was also named to the All-Star team.

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However, Rendon says he’s not chasing media attention or fans’ attention for his defensive prowess on the diamond or the number of runners he can drive in with a bat. In a video posted to Instagram last year, the Houston native told Houston First Baptist Church Pastor Gregg Matte that he wanted to be known as “a Christian baseball player.”

“I want to be known as a Christian baseball player, and I’m still trying to grow into that,” he said. “But in the end, I want to be more Christian than baseball player. If I just try to stay in the word and try to surround myself with good people and have good community, I think that will just guide me on that path.”

Rendon says he loves baseball, but he’s not a fan of life on the road, because it keeps him away from his wife, Amanda, and their daughter, Emma.

“I love baseball,” he told the Washington Post last year. “ I love being on the field. I love competing. But I’m not a fan of everything that comes with it. No offense — I’m not a fan of the interviews. I’m not a fan of people coming in the clubhouse. I’m not a fan of everyone treating you different because you play a sport. How am I different than anyone else? I’m a human being, and I have my faults, too.”