Nolan Arenado, Third Base, St. Louis Cardinals


Date of Birth: 4/16/1991
Birthplace: Newport Beach, California

Nolan Arenado, third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, was drafted in 2009 by the Colorado Rockies. He played in the minor leagues from 2009 through 2012, ending with a batting average of .299.

Arenado started with the Rockies in 2013, playing in 133 games. He batted .267 with 130 hits, 29 doubles, 10 home runs, and 52 RBIs. His defensive skills at third base earned him a Gold Glove. In 130 games at third base, Arenado made 309 assists, 91 putouts, 27 double plays, and 11 errors and he had a fielding percentage of .973.

Arenado finished the 2014 season with 124 hits, 34 doubles, 18 home runs, 61 RBIs, 58 strikeouts to 25 walks, and a .287 batting average in 111 games. Although he did not perform as well defensively at third base as he did the previous year, he still won a second Gold Glove. In 111 games, he made 280 assists, 31 double plays, 69 putouts, and 15 errors to finish with a .959 fielding percentage.

Arenado had a strong 2015 season, finishing with 177 hits, 43 doubles, 42 home runs, 130 RBIs, and a .287 batting average in 157 games. He ws tied with Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals for the most home runs in the National League and he led the league in RBIs. He won his first Silver Slugger award in 2015 and his third consecutive Gold Glove. As the Rockies' third baseman, he made 385 assists, 42 double plays, 105 putouts, and 17 errors in 157 games.

Arenado a strong season in 2016, with 182 hits, a career high in RBIs (133), and a batting average of .294. He also had 35 doubles and 41 home runs. He was the NL homerun leader and RBI leader again in 2016 and he won his second consecutive Silver Slugger award.

Defensively, Arenado made MLB history in 2016 when he won his fourth consecutive Gold Glove. He is the first player to win a Gold Glove in each of his first four seasons in the major leagues. As the Rockies third baseman, he made 378 assists, 39 double plays, 99 putouts, and 13 errors in 160 games. He earned a fifth consecutive one in 2017.

Arenado had another strong season in 2017, batting a career high .309 in 159 games. He had 187 hits, 43 doubles, 37 home runs, 130 RBIs, and 106 strikeouts to 62 walks. He won his third consecutive Silver Slugger award in 2017. Defensively, as the Rockies' third baseman in 157 games, he made 311 assists, 39 double plays, 103 putouts, and 9 errors. In the Wild Card game, he had 1 hit, a home run, in 5 at-bats.

Arenado continued to excel in 2018, leading the NL in home runs with 38. He finished the season with 175 hits, 38 doubles, 110 RBIs, and a .297 batting average in 156 games. Defensively, as the Rockies' third baseman in 152 games, he made 312 assists, 44 double plays, 104 putouts, and 14 errors. In the postseason, he had 3 hits in 16 at-bats in 4 games. He won his fourth Silver Slugger award and his sixth Gold Glove in 2018.

Arenado signed an eight year extension with the Rockies on February 26, 2019. He had another outstanding season in 2019, batting .315 with 185 hits, 31 doubles, 41 home runs, 118 RBIs, and 93 strikeouts to 62 walks in 155 games. He won his seventh Gold Glove and a Platinum Glove for his outstanding defense at third base. In 154 games, he made 337 assists, 111 putouts, and 9 errors.

Arenado played in 48 games in 2020. He finished the season with 46 hits, 9 doubles, 8 home runs, 26 RBIs, 20 strikeouts to 15 walks, and a .263 batting average. Defensively, he played all 48 games at third base. His fielding was again outstanding and he won his eighth Gold Glove.

The Rockies traded Arenado to the Cardinals on February 1, 2021. He finished the 2021 season with 151 hits, 34 doubles, 34 home runs, 105 RBIs, 96 strikeouts to 50 walks, and a .255 batting average in 157 games. He had another outstanding defensive year, winning his ninth straight Gold Glove. In 155 games at third base, he made 287 assists, 38 double plays, 125 putouts, and 11 errors. In the postseason, he had no hits in 4 at-bats in 1 game.

Career batting statistics for Arenado through 2021 include:

  • 1,236 games played
  • 1,357 hits
  • 296 doubles
  • 269 home runs
  • 865 RBIs
  • 780 strikeouts to 412 walks
  • .288 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Arenado at third base through 2021 include:

  • 1,224 games played
  • 2,716 assists
  • 322 double plays
  • 850 putouts
  • 102 errors
  • .972 fielding percentage

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Nolan Arenado
ESPN - Nolan Arenado