A name that has, in Birdland, alternatively elicited hope, sadness, excitement, sympathy, joy, uneasiness, elation, apprehension, and even slight embarrassment at times (come on…admit it. You were embarrassed he threw a bat at somebody…and that he’s often seen hanging out with A.Rod). Still, the feeling most associated with that name is overwhelmingly, this:
Awe.
Manny Machado is awesome.
Just a year ago, fans were very nervous (see: uneasiness & apprehension above) about Manny. Following another seemingly catastrophic knee injury that left him laying in a heap on the infield dirt, and the subsequent surgery to repair it, we were wondering if Machado’s body would betray him, never allowing him to fulfill his massive potential on the baseball diamond. Would we ever see a full season out of #13?
Well, Manny Machado responded with one of the best seasons by a third baseman in Baltimore Orioles history, one that he put up while also being the only player in Major League Baseball to play in all of his team’s 162 games.
Last year, our Gordon Dixon penned a series called “Greatest Seasons in O’s History,” in which he dug into the Orioles record books to compile the best seasons, by position, Birdland had ever seen. Here is the third base list:
Brooks Robinson, 1964 – .317/.368/.521. 82 runs, 35 doubles, 28 HR, 118 RBI, AL MVP, Gold Glove
Doug DiCences, 1978 – .286/.346/.526. 72 runs, 37 doubles, 28 HR, 80 RBI
Melvin Mora, 2004 – .340/.419/.562. 111 runs, 41 doubles, 27 HR, 104 RBI, 11 stolen bases
Manny Machado, 2013 – .283/.314/.432. 88 runs, 51 doubles, 14 HR, 71 RBI, Gold/Platinum Glove
Fans on this site voted Robinson’s season as the best, with 78% of the vote.
How does Manny’s 2015 compare to those seasons above? Let’s have a look:
.286/.359/.502. 102 runs, 30 doubles, 35 HR, 86 RBI, 20 stolen bases. Gold Glove likely on the way.
At the very least, Machado’s replaces his 2013 submission in the above list. While Brooksie’s ’64 and Mora’s ’04 are still objectively better, Manny now has easily two of the best-ever seasons by an Oriole at the hot corner. Those are also the ONLY two years in which he’s played in over 82 of the team’s games.
Again…Manny Machado is awesome.
Back in ’13, when we were watching Manny smack “Machadoubles” all over the Yard, there was a common refrain among O’s fans: “Some of those doubles will turn into home runs here soon.” When that sentiment was uttered, most meant that some time in the future, at least three or four years down the road, Manny would perhaps double his home run output from 14 to 28ish. That may have seemed a bit optimistic – the majority of folks saw Machado as a 20-25 home run guy. 30? Doubtful. 35? Probably out of the question.
Then he had not one, but two knee injuries and surgeries. Expectations were tempered.
So what does Machado do? Smokes 35 home runs in his next full season.
This seems like as good a time as any to remind our readers that Machado just turned 23 years old in July. In an MLB world that didn’t include such young phenoms as Mike Trout and Bryce Harper, Machado would be, deservedly, the toast of baseball. Instead, he is – and fairly so – overshadowed a bit nationally. Here in Birdland though, we should take a moment to fully appreciate what we’re watching, and to salute the young Mr. Machado on an incredible year.
Manny single-handedly making these games worth watching.
— Eutaw Street Report (@EutawStReport) October 1, 2015
Thank you, Manny, for making every single game must-watch for Orioles fans. Here’s to Manny, Manny more (healthy) years of you being awesome in an Orioles jersey.
