Reds legend identifies reason for Manny Machado falling behind Jose Ramirez, Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman in MLB third baseman rankings

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado is one of the best defensive players in the league. He made The Shredder's top 10 third baseman in MLB at No. 4 behind Jose Ramirez, Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman.

Former MLB star and Reds legend Mike Lowell weighed in on the rankings during an MLB Network segment, shedding light on why Machado might have fallen short.

"I think what is missing was he was coming off surgery at the beginning of the year," Lowell said Wednesday on MLB Network. "He DH'd a lot, and I don't think his arm was at 100 percent until probably a couple of months into the season. Statcast doesn't care whether you've been hurt — they're putting it on you no matter what. I still love him defensively.

"I think he's a guy who blasts the baseball. He is top 10 percent in hard-hit percentage three of the last four years. So he's a guy who, when he makes contact, it's a different sound. I still love him. He made my top five, and I don't have a problem with The Shredder."

Manny Machado's defensive stats in the last three seasons

Here’s a detailed breakdown of Manny Machado's defensive statistics over the last three seasons (2022–2024):

2022 Season:

Machado logged significant time in the field, playing over 1,100 innings at third base. However, his Defensive Runs Saved was slightly below average (-2), indicating he allowed marginally more runs than an average fielder. His Fielder Rating Value of 6.0 suggests that, despite the negative DRS, he had notable contributions defensively in certain scenarios.

2023 Season:

In 2023, Machado played fewer innings (919.0) compared to 2022 but saw a significant improvement in his DRS (4), showing he saved more runs than an average defender. His FRV also increased to 9.

2024 Season:

Machado’s innings played dipped further in 2024 (873.2 innings), likely due to coming off a surgery. His DRS of 2 indicates above-average defensive contributions, but his FRV dropped to 0, suggesting his overall fielding value was neutral when factoring in advanced metrics.