With this years MASN Cup starting tonight at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, we thought we’d bring up the fun, annual fan-debate from around the beltway; Manny Machado or Bryce Harper? When this conversation came up in 2013, when Manny was well on his way of leading the MLB in doubles, as well as winning a Platinum Glove, I used to chuckle at people putting Harper in the same league. It wasn’t even close back then, but things have changed. Harper seems to have finally settled in and is starting to play at that MVP-level people unfairly expected of him when he came up as a 19 year-old phenom. This time around, we have a pretty good argument on our hands.
Harper is 22, and will be for the rest of the 2015 season, while Machado just turned 23 on July 6th. Both have youth on their side, and while people may say Machado has been injury prone so far in his career, Harper has also been frequently injured throughout his young career. So we’ll cast health and age aside throughout this argument, and base this solely on achievements, statistics and opinion.
Achievements
Harper: 3-time All-Star, 2012 Rookie of the Year
Machado: 2-time All-Star, 2013 Gold-Glove Award, 2013 Platinum-Glove Award
Toss-up here. Both have had success, and both have been recognized by their peers and fans for their achievements. I might give the nod to Machado here, as his defense is consistently regarded as tops in the league. Despite his spike in errors this season, he’s still expected to real in his second Gold-Glove award at 3B, and if healthy, I’d expect him to have mantel-full by the end of his career.
Statistics
Let’s take a quick look at their last two calendar seasons
2014:
Harper: 100 G, .273/.344/.423, 10 2B, 13 HR, 32 RBI, 41 R, 2 SB, 1 WAR
Machado: 82 G, .278/.324/.431, 14 2B, 12 HR, 32 RBI, 38 R, 2 SB, 2.4 WAR
Like we said earlier, both were often-injured, and spent relatively equal time on the DL last season. While they were on the field, they had relatively similar offensive production. Manny seems to out-value Harper because of what he brings to the table defensively. 2014, even in half of a season, edge goes to Machado.
2015 (through July 9):
Haper: 78 G, .343/.471/.709, 20 2B, 25 HR, 60 RBI, 58 R, 4 SB, 6.1 WAR
Machado: 85 G, .301/.360/.535, 18 2B, 19 HR, 48 RBI, 55 R, 13 SB, 4.7 WAR
Both are having incredibly productive, All-Star seasons. Harper set a National League record for All-Star votes this year, and for good reason. He’s having one of the best starts to a season in recent memory, and his year-22 season will go down in the record books if he keeps it up. Clearly the edge goes to Bryce this year, and that’s not taking anything away from Manny. He’s the Orioles team MVP thus far, and theres no debate there. If he hadn’t stepped into the leadoff role and fill the void left behind by Nick Markakis, the Birds would be in trouble.
It’s a shame these two won’t go toe-to-toe in the Home Run Derby on Monday night, as Harper has elected to sit this year out following his father’s shoulder surgery. These two explosive bats would have been showcased to a national audience, and maybe they would start becoming as much of a household name as Mike Trout. Their power, which is flourishing at such a young age, is truly remarkable and perhaps unexpected in Machado’s case. He’s already set a career high in HR in 2015, and there really is no ceiling for how much he can continue to grow as a player.
Opinion
If I’m starting a franchise right now I’m taking Manny Machado. Despite Harper’s immense amount of success to kick off 2015, I don’t think his power potential is significant enough to sacrifice Manny’s defensive capabilities. What Machado brings to the table is his ability to be much more of a complete player. What Harper may add in offensive flare, Machado supplements with web-gems, jaw-dropping throws, and consistency.
I wouldn’t want to miss out on these kind of plays at OPACY, would you?
The Win Column 