Nolan Arenado (born April 16, 1991, Newport Beach, California, U.S.) is a professional baseball player considered to be one of the best all-around third basemen in Major League Baseball (MLB). An elite infielder, Arenado won the Gold Glove Award in each of his first 10 seasons. He made his MLB debut with the Colorado Rockies in 2013 and quickly became a fan favorite, excelling as an infielder and a hitter. He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021.
Arenado is the second of three sons born to Fernando Arenado, who worked as a travel agent, and Millie Arenado, who was an insurance executive. His father hails from Cuba, and his mother is from Queens, New York City, with family roots in Cuba and Puerto Rico. Arenado’s younger brother, Jonah Arenado, is a former minor league baseball player, and his cousin Josh Fuentes played in the major leagues from 2019 to 2021. In a 2016 interview with the Denver Post, Arenado recalled how he honed his competitive skills by playing a variety of sports with his friends and family members:
Arenado attended El Toro High School in Lake Forest, California, where he primarily played shortstop on the varsity baseball team. He excelled as a hitter in his senior year, batting .517 with 14 doubles and 5 home runs in 87 at bats. He initially planned on attending Arizona State University on a baseball scholarship, but he decided to turn professional when the Colorado Rockies selected him in the second round of the 2009 MLB draft.
Arenado made his MLB debut with the Rockies in April 2013 at age 22. He was not much of a force offensively during his rookie season, hitting .267 with 10 home runs, but he was already a star on defense, winning the first of his 10 consecutive Gold Glove Awards. Arenado’s offense improved in 2014, when he posted a .287 batting average with 18 home runs. His breakout season came in 2015, when he led the National League (NL) with 130 runs batted in (RBI) and tied Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals for the most home runs (42) in the NL. He repeated the feat in 2016, leading the NL with 133 RBI and tying Chris Carter of the Milwaukee Brewers with an NL-leading 41 home runs.
Arenado is known for his tireless work ethic and relentless preparation. He consistently impresses fans and players with his range at third base and his ability to make strong, accurate throws from off-balance positions. In a 2017 article for Yahoo! Sports, columnist Jeff Passan wrote:
In 2018 he led the NL with 38 home runs. That same year, Mike Schmidt, who is considered one of the best all-around third basemen in MLB history, told The New York Times, “In my opinion, Nolan Arenado is going to be the heir apparent to the all-time greatest third basemen. He puts up numbers that I never even dreamed of.” Despite his emerging stardom, Arenado was often uncomfortable in the spotlight, telling Sports Illustrated in 2019 that he sometimes suffers from panic attacks in public settings.
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