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There are plenty of overrated players in the MLB. Guys who we always talk about but their numbers don't support their overall rankings. I won't name any examples here for kindness sake, but it isn't all that hard to find out who is overrated. But the underrated players discussion is always an interesting one.
For a long while I was a huge “Trea Turner is the most underrated player in baseball” supporter. But Turner is finally receiving some national attention in LA with the Dodgers. But he was still snubbed of an MVP in 2021 (in my humble opinion. I mean, he wasn't even an official finalist!) And Bryce Harper has rapidly made the transition from arguably MLB's most overrated player to arguably MLB's most underrated player in about the span of 2 years. But calling a guy who is fresh off of his second NL MVP award “underrated” is a difficult thing to do.
So who is MLB's most underrated player in 2022? There are plenty of under-the-radar guys who are fairly unproven enjoying phenomenal starts to the season. Some examples of these types of players might include Ty France and Logan Gilbert.
But Manny Machado is continuing to excel in San Diego and he somehow is not being talked about in the same conversation as baseball's best players. Sure, people recognize Machado's talent. But the superstars who get talked about the most by baseball media are guys like Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Aaron Judge, and plenty of other big market stars.
So without further ado, here are 2 reasons Manny Machado is the most underrated superstar of the 2022 season.
2 Reasons Manny Machado is the Most Underrated MLB Superstar
Manny Machado's Reputation Precedes Him
Unfortunately for Machado, he has established a rather negative reputation over his years in the big leagues. As a young player in Baltimore and Los Angeles, it is difficult to deny the fact that he was involved in some bush league antics. And many fans don't want to talk about his greatness because they simply don't like him.
Ty Cobb, who reportedly did far worse things than Machado, is remembered as an MLB great. The Tigers' Hall of Famer was a gritty and sometimes dirty player. But he was also reportedly looked upon as a leader. He played the game hard and understood what it took to win.
Machado has emerged as a leader for the Padres. He has moved to third base and his antics have died down in San Diego. There will be some people who will never change their opinions on Machado and that is fine. But even A-Rod and Barry Bonds haters acknowledge that they were elite talents on the diamond. Machado's critics are sometimes hard-pressed to admit that he is good at baseball.
But they won't have any other choice if he keeps San Diego afloat in the NL West without Tatis Jr in the lineup.
Elite Track Record
Not only is Manny Machado posting MVP-caliber numbers to open the 2022 season, the Padres' star has been playing at a top-tier level for quite some time. Yet, he only has five All-Star selections to his name entering the 2022 campaign. He made the All-Star team in 2021 but finished a distant 18th in MVP voting.
He would have been an All-Star in 2020 but there was no All-Star selections due to the shortened season. Nonetheless he finished within the top 3 in MVP voting but was debatably snubbed of the award.
He has been one of the best players in the game over the past couple of years but isn't found in many “best player in baseball conversations.” Maybe it's reputation, maybe it's because the popularity of teammate Fernando Tatis Jr. overshadows him. But there is no denying the fact that he deserves more respect as an elite talent in this game.
Manny Machado is the most underrated player in baseball right now.
