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The "best player in baseball" discussion is headed up by two three players who are still not even 25 years old and were rookies in 2012.

Though it was probably an uphill battle for some, the hunch here is that by the end of last season, even the most ardent Mike Trout dissenters came around and started to call him the best all-around baseball player on the planet. Through four full seasons, the then-23-year-old prodigy had finished either first or second in MVP voting each time. It was a ridiculous string, the likes of which we'd never seen before in Major League Baseball.

Trout, however, has some company in the form of Bryce Harper. He's on another level right now. Since the beginning of 2015, Harper is hitting .329/.455/.667. In some ways, he feels like prime Barry Bonds right now, in that if you even throw him a strike, it feels like it's going to end up in the seats. Right now, if you asked me who the best player in baseball is, I'd say Bryce Harper. Trout would be second (and, seriously, if you're gonna look at his slow start and take anything away other than that it's a slow start, get outta here.

Third? Well, it's someone who is definitely related to the two, baseball-wise. He's even, still, criminally underrated nationally thanks in part to this relation. It's Orioles third baseman Manny Machado.

Manny Machado puff piece ... GO!

Machado and his winning smile.
Machado and his winning smile. (USATSI)

Though Machado only played in 51 games instead of most of the season, he, too, was a rookie in 2012 like Trout and Harper (the latter two being Rookies of the Year in their respective leagues). He, too, is ridiculously young when it comes to being in the "best player in baseball" discussion, given that he's only 23 (Trout is 24; Harper 23).

Machado this season so far leads the majors in hits, batting average, OPS+ and wRC+. He leads the AL in slugging percentage, OPS, total bases and WAR. He's hitting .407/.462/.780 (243 OPS+) with seven doubles, five homers, nine RBI and 13 runs. He's gotten at least one hit in each of the Orioles' 14 games. Hitting mostly either leadoff or second, he's gotten on base at least twice in nine of the 14 games.

Needless to say, Machado's performance with the bat is a big reason the Orioles are sitting with the AL's best record at 10-4.

Yet it's so much more than the 2016 offense.

First off, Machado had a huge breakout season in 2015. He always had talent, but we hadn't yet seen the plate discipline, the home-run power or the base-stealing prowess in his game. He stole 20 bases as compared to a previous career high of six. He walked 70 times as compared to a previous career high of 29 -- helping to boost his on-base percentage from .324 to .359. His career high in homers went from 14 to 35. We're talking about a metamorphisis from a good offensive player to one of the best in the game.

And we haven't even mentioned his defense yet.

Oh, the defense at third base. It's enough to make a true baseball nut weak in the knees.

Plays like these two look easy, notably how easy-strong his arm is:

He's barely even trying here, right? I mean, it was in spring training:

Something that seems to be his signature play is the crossing into foul territory while throwing effortlessly across the body. Again, this was only from spring training, but he's done something like this dozen's of times in big-boy ball:

There aren't many players in baseball history with the chops to pull that off and Machado makes it look like no big deal. It's enough to remind Baltimore folks of a dude named Brooks. Yeah, Brooks was here. So is Manny.

Glove? Check. Arm? Emphatic check. Hit, hit for power, run? Check, check and check.

Manny Machado is a true five-tool superstar and he's the best player in the world who isn't named Trout or Harper. In fact, he's right with the dynamic duo and would get more credit if he weren't a bit overshadowed by coming up later in the same year. Let's start giving Mr. Machado his due alongside Mr. Trout and Mr. Harper. He deserves as much. He's that good.