On what planet is Manny Machado an all time great 25 year old? Planet MLB Network.

MLB Network today during a discussion of free agent Manny Machado signing a ten year $300 million contract with the San Diego Padres featured six players with high WAR (Wins Above Replacement) through age 25. Machado was shown ahead of legendary players. But it's flashed on the screen for only a few seconds and unless you record the program you miss a lot. I recorded.

WAR is a total, so the more you play, the higher your WAR. This alone made the photo display silly. But let's try to recreate the list.

Rk	Player	WAR/pos	From	To	Age	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos	Tm
26	Manny Machado	33.8	2012	2018	19-25	926	4074	3720	522	1050	211	12	175	513	296	34	669	15	14	29	108	53	24	.282	.335	.487	.822	*56	BAL-LAD
27	Joe DiMaggio	33.6	1936	1940	21-25	686	3116	2827	613	970	171	58	168	691	260		147	18	11		27	17	3	.343	.402	.623	1.025	*8/79H	NYY
28	Barry Bonds	33.3	1986	1990	21-25	717	3009	2601	468	688	156	26	117	337	377	56	448	11	3	17	28	169	51	.265	.358	.479	.837	*78/H9	PIT
29	Stan Musial	32.7	1941	1946	20-25	611	2655	2323	439	812	185	64	52	357	299	44	103	12	21		34	30	28	.350	.426	.551	.978	973/8H	STL
30	Willie Mays	32.5	1951	1956	20-25	610	2629	2314	419	708	102	43	152	412	286	55	259	10	1	17	53	83	24	.306	.382	.584	.966	*8	NYG
31	Lou Gehrig	31.7	1923	1928	20-25	613	2631	2193	504	753	174	62	111	510	358		283	10	68			26	27	.343	.438	.631	1.069	*3/H97	NYY

MLB Network did not show data other than WAR. It had photos of the six players above from left to right. And it noted at the bottom that Ty Cobb had the highest WAR all time through age 25 season. The announcer does say that these are the five right behind Manny Machado.

What you tend to overlook are the rank numbers. Machado is only number 26. And obviously the only reason his WAR is higher than the next five is because he played a lot more. Look at PA (plate appearances). Machado has 24% more PA than DiMaggio and is still only .2 WAR higher. In fact these six players are almost exactly in rank order by PA; Gehrig has two more PA than Mays, who spent almost two full seasons (1952-1953) in the Army.

Here is a complete list of 32 players:
Spanning Multiple Seasons or entire Careers, From 1871 to 2018, Younger than 26, (requiring WAR/pos>=30), sorted by greatest WAR Position Players

Rk	Player	WAR/pos	From	To	Age	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos	Tm
1	Ty Cobb	56.0	1905	1912	18-25	1021	4351	3919	737	1433	230	109	43	691	286		323	37	100			402	34	.366	.414	.513	.927	98/7H4	DET
2	Mike Trout	54.2	2011	2017	19-25	925	4065	3399	692	1040	200	40	201	569	571	61	874	55	0	40	47	165	32	.306	.410	.566	.976	*87/D9H	LAA
3	Mickey Mantle	52.8	1951	1957	19-25	952	4114	3418	763	1080	164	49	207	669	670	57	653	5	9	14	26	59	19	.316	.427	.574	1.002	*89/H6475	NYY
4	Rogers Hornsby	46.9	1915	1921	19-25	858	3576	3184	500	1073	165	90	57	486	295		285	28	70			84	30	.337	.398	.499	.897	645/3H798	STL
5	Alex Rodriguez	46.4	1994	2001	18-25	952	4247	3758	760	1167	228	14	241	730	385	15	747	47	16	41	80	151	39	.311	.378	.571	.949	*6/HD	SEA-TEX
6	Jimmie Foxx	45.2	1925	1933	17-25	959	3940	3323	737	1127	196	66	222	830	556		470	6	53			31	36	.339	.435	.638	1.073	*35/H2967	PHA
7	Mel Ott	44.2	1926	1934	17-25	1136	4649	3949	799	1249	224	41	211	846	622		301	21	53		20	38		.316	.412	.554	.966	*98/H745	NYG
8	Ken Griffey Jr.	40.3	1989	1995	19-25	917	3920	3440	570	1039	201	19	189	585	426	106	530	18	5	31	68	92	43	.302	.379	.536	.915	*8/DH39	SEA
9	Arky Vaughan	39.4	1932	1937	20-25	849	3712	3164	572	1057	166	78	58	501	466		148	27	55		30	40		.334	.424	.491	.915	*6/7H	PIT
10	Eddie Mathews	39.0	1952	1957	20-25	880	3807	3206	606	902	147	33	222	586	561	77	522	7	15	19	39	29	15	.281	.388	.556	.943	*5/H7	BSN-MLN
11	Tris Speaker	38.7	1907	1913	19-25	757	3250	2817	495	958	170	76	35	383	301		195	41	72			196	28	.340	.412	.492	.903	*8/H97	BOS
12	Hank Aaron	38.6	1954	1959	20-25	886	3866	3524	612	1137	205	46	179	617	281	59	315	13	18	30	107	20	9	.323	.372	.559	.931	*978/4H5	MLN
13	Albert Pujols	37.6	2001	2005	21-25	790	3428	2954	629	982	227	11	201	621	401	70	344	44	1	28	94	29	15	.332	.416	.621	1.037	*37/59HD6	STL
14	Andruw Jones	37.6	1996	2002	19-25	981	3971	3520	574	940	188	23	185	559	377	28	745	39	6	29	70	114	40	.267	.342	.491	.833	*89/H7D	ATL
15	Frank Robinson	37.5	1956	1961	20-25	888	3790	3286	618	994	177	34	202	573	392	55	491	66	13	35	89	81	24	.302	.384	.561	.946	*738/9H5	CIN
16	Eddie Collins	36.9	1906	1912	19-25	713	3016	2556	455	856	111	57	10	316	290		181	30	109			254	22	.335	.409	.435	.844	*4/6H9875	PHA
17	Al Kaline	36.1	1953	1960	18-25	1051	4405	3919	598	1200	185	38	140	612	409	46	336	19	24	35	102	70	35	.306	.372	.480	.851	*98/H7	DET
18	Johnny Bench	35.5	1967	1973	19-25	934	3880	3444	504	922	159	15	179	616	371	68	553	8	5	51	97	24	22	.268	.336	.479	.814	*2/93H758	CIN
19	Mookie Betts	35.2	2014	2018	21-25	644	2923	2606	478	789	189	21	110	390	274	19	363	16	4	23	30	110	22	.303	.370	.518	.888	*98/4HD	BOS
20	Cesar Cedeno	35.1	1970	1976	19-25	970	4126	3735	597	1097	221	33	121	523	318	43	506	29	12	32	84	313	98	.294	.351	.468	.819	*8/9H73	HOU
21	Vada Pinson	34.9	1958	1964	19-25	962	4228	3899	661	1177	216	61	125	530	275	19	522	18	10	25	67	139	47	.302	.349	.485	.833	*8/9H7	CIN
22	Cal Ripken Jr.	34.6	1981	1986	20-25	830	3562	3210	529	927	183	20	133	472	313	10	417	10	2	27	111	11	13	.289	.351	.483	.834	*6/5HD	BAL
23	Rickey Henderson	34.2	1979	1984	20-25	791	3488	2916	586	850	129	29	51	271	520	21	416	20	16	16	40	493	138	.291	.400	.408	.808	*7/8HD9	OAK
24	Ted Williams	34.2	1939	1942	20-23	586	2613	2104	541	749	154	33	127	515	495	45	196	12	4		45	11	11	.356	.481	.642	1.123	*79/H1	BOS
25	Sherry Magee	34.0	1904	1910	19-25	984	4095	3582	552	1062	205	96	28	553	349		301	53	107			287		.296	.367	.431	.798	*7/983H	PHI
Rk	Player	WAR/pos	From	To	Age	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos	Tm
26	Manny Machado	33.8	2012	2018	19-25	926	4074	3720	522	1050	211	12	175	513	296	34	669	15	14	29	108	53	24	.282	.335	.487	.822	*56	BAL-LAD
27	Joe DiMaggio	33.6	1936	1940	21-25	686	3116	2827	613	970	171	58	168	691	260		147	18	11		27	17	3	.343	.402	.623	1.025	*8/79H	NYY
28	Barry Bonds	33.3	1986	1990	21-25	717	3009	2601	468	688	156	26	117	337	377	56	448	11	3	17	28	169	51	.265	.358	.479	.837	*78/H9	PIT
29	Stan Musial	32.7	1941	1946	20-25	611	2655	2323	439	812	185	64	52	357	299	44	103	12	21		34	30	28	.350	.426	.551	.978	973/8H	STL
30	Willie Mays	32.5	1951	1956	20-25	610	2629	2314	419	708	102	43	152	412	286	55	259	10	1	17	53	83	24	.306	.382	.584	.966	*8	NYG
31	Lou Gehrig	31.7	1923	1928	20-25	613	2631	2193	504	753	174	62	111	510	358		283	10	68			26	27	.343	.438	.631	1.069	*3/H97	NYY
32	Babe Ruth	31.1	1914	1920	19-25	533	1948	1568	360	514	118	39	103	359	340		264	11	24			27	14	.328	.451	.650	1.101	71/9H83	BOS-NYY

Note two young Machado contemporaries ranked higher than Machado but not mentioned at all by MLB Network:
2. Mike Trout 54.2
19. Mookie Betts 35.2

Like Machado, free agent Bryce Harper is also 25 but his WAR is only 27.4.

Here are the top ten of the 32 sorted by PA:

k	Player	WAR/pos	From	To	Age	G	PA ▼	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos	Tm
1	Mel Ott	44.2	1926	1934	17-25	1136	4649	3949	799	1249	224	41	211	846	622		301	21	53		20	38		.316	.412	.554	.966	*98/H745	NYG
2	Al Kaline	36.1	1953	1960	18-25	1051	4405	3919	598	1200	185	38	140	612	409	46	336	19	24	35	102	70	35	.306	.372	.480	.851	*98/H7	DET
3	Ty Cobb	56.0	1905	1912	18-25	1021	4351	3919	737	1433	230	109	43	691	286		323	37	100			402	34	.366	.414	.513	.927	98/7H4	DET
4	Alex Rodriguez	46.4	1994	2001	18-25	952	4247	3758	760	1167	228	14	241	730	385	15	747	47	16	41	80	151	39	.311	.378	.571	.949	*6/HD	SEA-TEX
5	Vada Pinson	34.9	1958	1964	19-25	962	4228	3899	661	1177	216	61	125	530	275	19	522	18	10	25	67	139	47	.302	.349	.485	.833	*8/9H7	CIN
6	Cesar Cedeno	35.1	1970	1976	19-25	970	4126	3735	597	1097	221	33	121	523	318	43	506	29	12	32	84	313	98	.294	.351	.468	.819	*8/9H73	HOU
7	Mickey Mantle	52.8	1951	1957	19-25	952	4114	3418	763	1080	164	49	207	669	670	57	653	5	9	14	26	59	19	.316	.427	.574	1.002	*89/H6475	NYY
8	Sherry Magee	34.0	1904	1910	19-25	984	4095	3582	552	1062	205	96	28	553	349		301	53	107			287		.296	.367	.431	.798	*7/983H	PHI
9	Manny Machado	33.8	2012	2018	19-25	926	4074	3720	522	1050	211	12	175	513	296	34	669	15	14	29	108	53	24	.282	.335	.487	.822	*56	BAL-LAD
10	Mike Trout	54.2	2011	2017	19-25	925	4065	3399	692	1040	200	40	201	569	571	61	874	55	0	40	47	165	32	.306	.410	.566	.976	*87/D9H	LAA

Machado has the lowest WAR among these ten players.

So what the heck? Was MLB Network trying to be deceptive? Trying to hype a current player? Trying to hype a story?