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Earlier this week, third baseman Manny Machado was named a finalist for the 2020 Hank Aaron Award, which is given to Major League Baseball’s most-outstanding offensive performer during the regular season.
Congratulations to Manny Machado on being named a 2020 Hank Aaron Award finalist!
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) October 14, 2020
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The other six players who join Machado as finalists include the Braves’ Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers’ Corey Seager, the Mets’ Dominic Smith, the Phillies’ Bryce Harper, the Cardinals’ Paul Goldschmidt, and the Nationals’ Juan Soto.
Per fangraphs.com, Freeman leads all of the finalists with 3.4 Wins Above Replacement (WAR). Right behind him is Machado (2.6), Soto (2.4), and Goldschmidt (2.1).
Machado finished second on the Padres with 16 home runs, just one behind team leader Fernando Tatis Jr., but finished first in RBIs with 47. His batting average of .304 was his best since joining the Padres, as well as his on-base percentage (.370). His slugging percentage was also good for second on the team, behind only Wil Myers’ .606.