Howie Kendrick has quietly been one of the key contributors to the Washington Nationals' recent winning surge. The team is in the midst of a scorching hot streak, winning 12 of their last 15 games and 30 of their last 42. In a little over a month and a half, Dave Martinez's squad has managed to jump from a 22.2% chance of making the playoffs to an encouraging 83.8% chance (per Fangraphs).
Kendrick, a 14-year veteran with his fourth Major League team, is right in the center of the team's success. Since May 24, the utility infielder is boasting a .383 batting average with a 1.060 OPS. He's slashing .326/.378/.553 on the year -- all career-highs.
Kendrick's ability to hit for power just may be the most surprising tool he has deployed for the Nats this year, as he has already knocked out the third-most homers in his career (12) with two and a half months left of the season still to play.
Historically, Howie has never been considered a power hitter by any means, but the underlying statistics suggest he may be a changed man. His hard-hit percentage and exit velocity have both risen significantly, and his barrel percentage has nearly tripled from last year. According to Statcast, Kendrick is even expected to be slugging .32 points higher than his current .567, thanks to his decreased (by 10%!) ground-ball rate. What's even more impressive is that his increase in power has not come at the cost of contact, as Kendrick has lowered his strikeout percentage by nearly 6%.
He doesn't necessarily garner as much attention from the media as some of his teammates, but Kendrick is playing at an extremely high level despite being the second-oldest player on the team. He provides valuable experience and veteran insight for a team with many young stars, such as Juan Soto (20) and Victor Robles (22), who are already staples in the Nats' lineup.
The 35-year-old isn't an everyday starter, but he's appeared in 77 of the team's first 93 games, and he leads by example by embracing his role on the team. When not in the lineup, he stays engaged and ready in case a late-inning opportunity arises. Kendrick has 10 hits and 7 RBI in 24 appearances as a pinch-hitter this year. He's riding a .435 AVG, a .462 OBP, a .783 SLG, and a 1.244 OPS in pinch-hitting situations -- each of which leads all pinch-hitters with at least 20 at-bats in 2019.
Kendrick's late-inning heroics have been a jump-start for the team in crucial moments, such as the June 9 game in San Diego, when his go-ahead pinch-hit home run off the Padres' Craig Stammen became contagious, leading to three consecutive homers and a crucial road victory.
Kendrick's intangible contributions were recognized this past Tuesday when he was honored with the 2019 Heart & Hustle Award for the Nationals, which is given to "players who demonstrate a passion for the game of baseball and best embody the values, spirit and traditions of the game."
With an OPS higher than stars such as Bryce Harper, Nolan Arenado, and Anthony Rizzo -- not to mention other impressive performers this season such as Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Rafael Devers -- Kendrick has been nothing short of brilliant for the Nationals this season, and should be expected to be a big part of a potential playoff run.
All statistics are accurate as of end of play on July 16, 2019.