Matthew Taylor: Where does Manny Machado currently rank among O's greats?

Manny Machado's grand slam versus the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night was the latest in a strong start that has more people taking notice of the Orioles' young superstar. You could rightfully argue that the two-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner who finished fourth in MVP voting last season deserved more attention before now. Regardless, Machado's quickness out of the gate in 2016 is deservedly garnering him national recognition.

Just last week two writers - one from ESPN and the other from FanGraphs - wrote that Machado deserves to be in the conversation with Bryce Harper and Mike Trout for consideration as the game's best young player. Baseball fans love a good argument, and there's plenty to chew on with that discussion. I enjoy historical perspective, so I'm interested in where Machado ranks among the all-time Orioles greats at this stage in his career.

Using the Baseball Reference Play Index, I developed a list of O's players who appeared in at least 400 games by the time they were 23. There are seven total players on the list: Boog Powell (546 games), Cal Ripken Jr. (507), Eddie Murray (480), Machado (472 and counting), Brooks Robinson (456), Curt Blefary (430) and Paul Blair (411). Right off the bat, Machado, who turns 24 on July 6, is in great company.

Offensive totals make for the easiest comparisons, so let's start with the basics, which indicate that Machado has some of the best totals ever compiled by an Orioles batter by 23. He's chasing Ripken and Murray for the top spot, with Powell in the mix, as well.

Machado currently ranks second for hits by 23 with 540, having passed Murray this season. He is 29 hits behind Ripken. Meanwhile, his .283 batting average trails only Ripken (.293) and Murray (.288).

As for power, Machado is fourth right now with 75 home runs. That's well behind Powell at 96, but he's closing fast on Ripken (82) and Murray (79). His 231 RBIs also rank behind those three players, led by Powell (307), Murray (282) and Ripken (281).

Machado's career slash line (average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage) is .283/.332/.466. Compare that to the historical big three for offense: Ripken at .293/.351/.494, Murray at .288/.353/.475 and Powell at .260/.345/.467.

One area where Machado could improve, ranking fifth among the seven players on the original list, is on-base percentage. Machado's .332 career OBP is driven by his lower walk total compared to the other young greats, as well as his relatively high strikeout total (second overall and closing fast on Powell) among the rest of the group.

The deeper statistics reinforce Machado's place among young Orioles greats as his 12.1 offensive WAR currently ranks second to Ripken (18.2), and his 283 runs created ranks fourth overall in this grouping. Ripken had two of his three best offensive seasons, as measured by oWAR, at 22, when he was the American League MVP, and at 23, when his numbers were remarkably similar to that MVP season.

Defense doesn't get nearly enough due when it comes to considering the greatest players, in part because there aren't nearly as many numbers to compare. However, from basic considerations like gold gloves to more complex calculations like defensive WAR, Machado ranks near the top of the list among this group.

Machado's performance in 2013, when he received the platinum glove, is arguably among the top defensive seasons in baseball history. When I think of Orioles defense, I instinctually think of Robinson. It's worth noting that Brooksie played some of his best defense at the hot corner after his age-23 season.

The big picture is that Machado is one of the four greatest young Orioles at this point in his career and ranks alongside two Hall of Famers. There's a former MVP and four-time All-Star in the conversation, as well. I'd give the overall edge to Ripken as the best all-around Orioles player by 23, but naturally the question is up for debate.

We're talking greatest young Orioles player in team history. Who do you think it is?

Matthew Taylor blogs about the Orioles at Roar from 34. Follow him on Twitter: @RoarFrom34. His ruminations about the Birds appear as part of MASNsports.com's season-long initiative of welcoming guest bloggers to our site. All opinions expressed are those of the guest bloggers, who are not employed by MASNsports.com but are just as passionate about their baseball as our roster of writers.