Manny Machado is one of the best young players in all of Major League Baseball. The only problem is that he is playing the wrong position.
One of the biggest objectives of running a baseball organization is adding as much value to the team as possible. From the Baltimore Orioles perspective, if they were concerned with that they would not even think about playing Machado anywhere except shortstop.
Shortstop has become more and more a position where great glove work is a necessity, and hitting prowess is just a bonus. As of July 21st, only six shortstops had a weighted-runs-created-plus (wRC+) greater than 100, according to FanGraphs.
By comparison, 15 third basemen fit that criterion.
In other words, third base is a much deeper position where hitting, especially hitting for power, is almost a necessity.
The thing about Manny Machado is that he can hit and field exceptionally well.
Back in 2011, when Machado was a 19-year old hot prospect, he was one of the most highly-touted shortstops in recent memory. He was the top-rated shortstop prospect by MLB.com, and he was usually praised more for his defense than his bat.
Upon his promotion to Double-A Bowie in 2011, MLB.com said this about Machado:
“While Machado's offensive exploits in the South Atlantic League were outstanding -- an OPS of .859 for a teenager in his first taste of full-season ball is a big reason why he got promoted -- his ability to play shortstop may have been just as big of a reason for his promotion. In 33 games at shortstop with Delmarva, Machado had a 5.18 range factor. To compare, Troy Tulowitzki was leading MLB in late July with a 5.03 RF.”
So he can flat-out play shortstop, or at least he could back then.
However, when he was called up in 2012, he was shifted to the hot corner because that is what the Orioles needed at that time. J.J. Hardy was already occupying shortstop and Machado stepped up and did a tremendous job at third.
Back then, it was understandable that Machado played third because of Hardy’s experience and the fact that he was still a productive player. But now Hardy owns a paltry .595 OPS and, while he is still an above-average defender, is no longer a threat of any kind in the batter’s box.
The fact that Machado is still at third base is simply mind-boggling at all levels.
First, for Machado, he could be looked at as one of baseball’s best all-around players. He got into last week’s All-Star Game in Cincinnati as a reserve. If he was a shortstop, he would undoubtedly been the starter for the American League.
Or at least he would be the best shortstop in MLB. Unfortunately, on-field production is no longer the only factor in the All-Star voting thanks to the Kansas City Royals.
Put Machado in the MLB shortstop rankings and he would have the most home runs, runs scored, stolen bases, isolated power, slugging percentage, weighted on-base average and wRC+. He would also have the third-most RBI and the second highest on-base percentage.
But, you say, maybe playing third base is the unselfish thing to do because it helps the team. That doesn’t make sense, though.
Having Machado at short would drastically improve the Orioles’ lineup. They would have the ability to go out and find a power-hitting corner infielder to play third, and they could allow Hardy to fill in as a utility infielder of some sort.
Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com, wrote an article last year around this time saying that the two best shortstops in the A.L played for the O’s (Machado and Hardy). That is probably an accurate statement, but since then Machado has blossomed into a star while Hardy has declined rapidly.
This offseason, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reported that Machado has “the green light” to return to shortstop if necessary.
Ultimately, it is that time for the Orioles to begin giving this notion serious consideration. J.J Hardy is not the player he once was, and Manny Machado is arguably the best shortstop in all of baseball right now. Unfortunately, he is currently playing third base, a position that houses some of MLB’s best hitters. Moving Machado to short is a move that would benefit all parties involved.
The 23-year old infielder—who already has two All-Star games, a Gold Glove award and a Home Run Derby appearance on his resume—would be able to enhance his profile as one of the game’s best all-around players at one of the thinnest positions.
The Orioles would immediately add more value to their roster as well as the flexibility to scour the free agent and trade market for a third baseman, a position that is much easier to find than shortstop.
Machado is one of the great players in baseball today. He is the sixth-youngest Oriole in history to reach 20 homers in a season, the last of which was Cal Ripken Jr., according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.
Moving Manny Machado to shortstop is just something that must be done. Sooner rather than later. Machado at shortstop would instantly become an annual MVP candidate and one of the best players in the game. But for now, he will have to settle for making it to All-Star Games, which isn’t all that bad.