Rendon has primarily hit cleanup for the Nationals through five spring starts. He hit second in the one game where he was not hitting fourth.
He primarily hit sixth (296 plate appearances) for the Nationals last season, while also getting starts hitting fifth (131 plate appearances), third (65 plate appearances), fourth (59 plate appearances), second (43 plate appearances) and seventh (10 plate appearances). It was a bit of a running joke that former manager Dusty Baker batted Rendon outside the top four in the Nationals' lineup, and it seems he is being groomed for a more prominent spot in 2018. Even with his less-than-optimal placement last year, he still managed 81 runs and 100 RBI. If he is hitting cleanup and can stay relatively healthy, he should improve on both those marks this season.