5 reasons why Manny Machado is as good as Bryce Harper

As great as Bryce Harper is, Manny Machado is just as good — so deal with it. 

Baseball fans in the Delmarva and DC area have the blessing of being able to watch two incredible baseball players every game. Baltimore Orioles fans have Gold Glove third baseman Manny Machado, while Washington Nationals fans get the honor of watching 2015 NL MVP Bryce Harper smash balls into orbit on a regular basis. Both players are going to get paid an incredible amount of money by some team, whether it be via an extension or via free agency.

Harper tends to get most of the attention (and rightfully so). As a result, Machado has become a bit underrated. There’s not a rational baseball fan who doesn’t think Machado is, at worst, a top-three third baseman in baseball. However, people don’t realize just how amazing Machado is. He’s as good as Harper. Heck, he might be even better.

Machado isn’t usually put in the same category as Mike Trout or Harper. To their credit, Trout and Harper have won an MVP award. However, Machado is a legitimate MVP candidate and is in the same category as the best of the best in baseball. Here are five reasons why.

All stats are as of May 8, 2016 and are courtesy of Fangraphs.

Next: Hitting