Bryce Harper vs. Manny Machado: Tale of the Tape
Last week the two best free agent hitters baseball has seen in almost two decades hit the open market looking for new places to call home. Manny Machado and Bryce Harper. Each is a superstar and each can sign wherever they want.
The rumors are flying: Phillies, Yankees, Dodgers, Giants, Nationals, Cubs. Where they’ll end up is anybody’s guess, but combined they’ll be guaranteed over half a billion dollars. Sure, that would still put them in the bottom ten as a country in the global economy, but as far as individuals go, they’ll be among the highest paid in sports.
Will they be worth it? Probably I guess, right. I mean there’s always injuries and performance declines and all that. However, these players are not only the best free agents we’ve seen in a while, they’re also unusually young at 26 years old. Each could play for another 12-15 years.
While one can make an argument on either side of the question of whether it would be a smart move for a team to sign either of these guys, the odds are no team will sign both of them.
Team needs vary of course, but it’s not like we’re talking about a pitcher and a hitter her. We’ve got two awesome hitters, so let’s match up Machado and Harper head to head and see what we get.
OFFENSE
Machado: Manny is currently an elite offensive force and 2018 was his best year to date. 37 home runs and a .377 wOBA were among the league leaders. Over the last four years, Manny has had All-Star production in three of them. In 2017 his offense dropped significantly and while that may have just been a blip, it’s certainly something to consider before a team drops a quarter billion dollars on him.
Harper: Four years ago Bryce put up some of the craziest offensive numbers we’ve seen since the Golden Years of Steroids. Unfortunately that was four years ago. The three years since have good, very good and very good. However, after Harper won the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game this year, he finished off the season with some of the craziest offensive numbers we’ve seen since four years ago.
Advantage: Machado
DEFENSE
Machado: Well, this is awkward. Manny’s preferred position is shortstop. But he is not very good defensively there. At third base he has been a Gold Glove caliber performer. The two positions are just 20 to 30 feet away from each other on the diamond, but maybe that extra split second gives Manny too much time to think about the ball hit towards him.
Harper: Outfield defense has never been a big part of Harper’s game. He actually started out as a catcher but the team moved him to the outfield to hurry him along in his development to the Big Leagues. He’s an okay defender in right field and he Machado-at-shortstop bad in centerfield. The Nationals were forced to move him there due to injuries and presumably the team that signs him will not be be planning on doing any such thing.
Advantage: Harper (unless Machado plays third base)
STAR POWER
Machado: There is no doubt that both of these players are stars. And while neither of them comes across as a “bad” guy, they both are infamous as well as famous. Does any of that really matter? Maybe. But if we compare these two players, Machado has had the distinct disadvantage of playing for the Baltimore Orioles. In his favor, he just played in the World Series and the alliteration of his name is a boost.
Harper: Baseball fans have been hearing about Bryce Harper for the last decade. When he was 16 years old, he got his GED, so he could be drafted at age 17. How do I know this? Because he has been covered so extensively by the baseball media as a pure baseball talent and as a polarizing player. Heck, I even know that he and his wife had split up at one point before they got married. Is it too much coverage? Of course. But that’s what you do with super stars.
Advantage: Harper
SOCIAL MEDIA
Harper: With almost one million Twitter followers, Harper as almost one million more followers than Machado. So, that’s good, but did you know that Mike Trout has over 2.5 million followers? Come on, Bryce, let’s get the tweets rolling. Stir it up a little. Okay, maybe wait until after you sign the mega contract.
Machado: Maybe Machado is more of a Facebook guy or MySpace. I mean he is looking for a new job, so possibly LinkedIn is more his thing. In this day and age there is nothing more important than social media. Part of being famous is being on social media so that you can say embarrassing things that you have to apologize for.
Advantage: Harper
ZODIAC SIGN
Harper: With an October birthday, Harper is a Libra. Libras are a bundle of energy, romantic and loyal to the core. So, I guess that means he’s going to stay with the Nationals.
Machado: With a July birthday, Manny is a Cancer. Sheesh! A little on the nose here. I mean, he’s a little rough around the edges sometimes, but how can a guy who hit 37 home runs be a cancer? Maybe if he just hit two more? (Get it? “Two more”—tumor.)
Advantage: Push (because I’m not sure astrology has any real value here)
HANDSOMENESS
Machado: Okay, now we’re getting down to it. This is a close one. It really comes down to whether you prefer the spicy Latin flavor of Machado or the rugged lumberjack flavor of Harper. Like many athletes, as Manny has gotten older, he’s added a few pounds which had made his face a bit pudgier and also may explain his defensive deficiencies at short.
Harper: This guy is no Kris Bryant, but Harper is a good looking dude. Oh and by the way did I mention he’s about to become a quarter-billionaire? If things ever go south with his wife, there will be a line of ladies around the block waiting for Harper, but they’ll all be in line behind me.
Advantage: Harper
OVERALL
Machado: Manny is an excellent player with great overall production and he’ll be a contender for MVP wherever he signs. And as huge as a quarter-billion dollar contract is, if he performs at last year’s level for most of it, the paying team will have gotten their money’s worth.
Harper: Harper has already won an MVP and in that year he had a 9.3 WAR (Wins Above Replacement). In present day dollars that is worth roughly $72 million. Just that one season. That’s a little more than a quarter of a quarter-billion dollars. In one season.
Advantage: Harper. But if Machado would switch back to third base, he moves out in front.
No matter which teams sign these guys, they’re both going to be big winners. Even if they sign with losers.
