5 reasons why Manny Machado is as good as Bryce Harper

2. Positional Value

Machado has a darn good case to win the 2016 AL MVP award partly because he plays such an integral position. Third base, center field, and shortstop are generally regarded as three of the most important fielding positions on the baseball diamond. The two corner outfield spots are not nearly as important. Therefore, Machado’s elite defense at third base is far more valuable to the Orioles than Harper’s above average defense as a corner outfielder.

Harper is a great hitter, but it’s almost impossible for him to match Machado’s value in the field; unless you’re truly elite, it’s very hard to have a huge defensive impact as a corner outfielder. Machado may not be quite on Harper’s level at the plate (though he is close), but because he plays such an important position in the field at such a high level, his all-around value is equal to Harper’s.

WAR backs this up. Machado has an 18.8 WAR since entering the league, compared to Harper’s 20.9. Harper has played in 60 more major league games than Machado, which means Machado needs to average a 5.5 WAR season over his next 60 games to match Harper’s WAR through 540 games. Considering he currently has a 2.3 WAR through 29 games in 2016 (that’s an 11 WAR pace over a full season), it’s hard to argue Machado hasn’t been as valuable as Harper since entering the league.

Next: They're both winning MVPs in 2016