When fellow ESPN Insider writer Dan Szymborski tabbed Manny Machado with the No. 6 pick in ESPN's franchise player draft, no doubt some of you out there raised an eyebrow. Although Machado has shown plus defensive ability since arriving in the major leagues and his offensive upside has been long heralded, he has "only" a 104 career OPS+ entering this season, and on the morning of May 31, 2015, he was hitting .261/.327/.433, not exactly the stuff of which stars are made, even 22-year-old ones.
I, for one, was not surprised by Szym's pick. I also participated in that franchise player draft and had slotted Machado into that very same No. 6 slot on my board. The thing is, I might rank him even higher if that exercise were being conducted today. A .375/.420/.644 tear since May 31 can do that. Has Machado reached the next level, and what is his ultimate true talent upside as this wunderkind becomes a man?