I listened to a podcast show around 4 weeks ago, in which the host interviewed Manny Machado, third baseman of the San Diego Padres. Machado shared his experience with the Padres.
After listening to the show, I was just thinking about one thing. Machado inked a long-term deal with the Padres in 2019 and in 2023, they agreed to a contract extension. So, Manny Machado has played for the Padres since 2019. Since then, is Machado the best third baseman in the league? To solve my doubt, I decided to check on the great Fangraphs website.
Firstly, let’s look at the number of hits. Rafael Devers made his MLB debut in 2017. He played for the Red Sox from 2017 to 2025. He was traded to the Giants last summer. When he played for the Red Sox, his primary position was third base. Since 2019, he has collected 1000+ hits. Jose Ramirez made it into the big leagues in 2013. He has played 1600+ games for the Guardians. Since 2019, he has 1000+ hits as well. In the meantime, Manny Machado has 1000+ hits since he joined the Padres.
Secondly, let’s look at the number of home runs. Eugenio Suarez made his MLB debut in 2014. So far in his career, Suarez has blasted 300+ home runs. Since 2019, he has crushed 200+ home runs. At the same time, from 2019 to today, Rafael Devers and Jose Ramirez each have smashed 200+ home runs as well. Meanwhile, Manny Machado has 202 home runs since he joined the Padres.
In addition, let’s look at their RBI. Rafael Devers has collected 671 RBI since 2019. Also, Jose Ramirez has more than 660 RBI during the same period. In the Padres uniform, Manny Machado has 655 RBI. Eugenio Suarez has collected 633 RBI from 2019 to today. Nolan Arenado has collected 595 RBI since 2019.
Finally, let’s look at OPS. From 2019 to today, Jose Ramirez and Rafael Devers each have an OPS of .860 or higher. During the same period, Alex Bregman has an OPS of .828. Bregman made his MLB debut in 2016 and has an OPS over .800 thus far. Moreover, Max Muncy has played for the Dodgers since 2018. Since 2019, Muncy has an OPS over .820. Additionally, Yandy Diaz was traded to the Rays in December 2018. In the Rays uniform, Diaz has an OPS over. 820. Meanwhile, Austin Riley made his MLB debut in 2019 and his career OPS is .817 now. Manny Machado now has a .816 OPS as a Padre.
So, looking at these 7 seasons, well, the 2026 season is still ongoing, Manny Machado’s performance is pretty good. He has an OPS over .800 with 202 home runs and 655 RBI. Those numbers are impressive and we can surely understand why the Padres and he agreed to a contract extension. Nonetheless, among third basemen, we can’t ignore how great Jose Ramirez has been. Well, Rafael Devers is not a third baseman now. Nevertheless, Devers did hit very well when he was with the Red Sox and as a third baseman.
No comments:
Post a Comment