The Silver Slugger Award is awarded annually to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League (AL) and the National League (NL), as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball (MLB). These voters consider several offensive categories in selecting the winners, including batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage, in addition to "coaches' and managers' general impressions of a player's overall offensive value".[1] Managers and coaches are not permitted to vote for players on their own team.[1] The Silver Slugger was first awarded in 1980 and is given by Hillerich & Bradsby, the manufacturer of Louisville Slugger bats.[2] The award is a bat-shaped trophy, 3 feet (91 cm) tall, engraved with the names of each of the winners from the league[1] and plated with sterling silver.[3]
In 2022, Major League Baseball began awarding a Silver Slugger Award to utility players (i.e. players who played multiple fielding positions in a given season).[4]
Key
edit| Year | Links to the corresponding Major League Baseball season |
| AVG | Batting average |
| OBP | On-base percentage |
| SLG | Slugging percentage |
| HR | Home runs |
| RBI | Runs batted in |
| Ref | References |
| * or ** | Winner of the most Silver Slugger Awards at his position (** indicates tie) |
| † | Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum |
American League winners
edit| Year | Player | Team | AVG | OBP | SLG | HR | RBI | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Luis Arráez** | Minnesota Twins | .316 | .375 | .420 | 8 | 49 | [5] |
| 2023 | Gunnar Henderson** | Baltimore Orioles | .255 | .325 | .489 | 28 | 82 | [6] |
| 2024 | Josh Smith** | Texas Rangers | .258 | .337 | .394 | 13 | 62 | [7] |
National League winners
edit| Year | Player | Team | AVG | OBP | SLG | HR | RBI | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Brandon Drury** | Cincinnati Reds San Diego Padres |
.263 | .320 | .492 | 28 | 87 | [8][9] |
| 2023 | Cody Bellinger** | Chicago Cubs | .307 | .356 | .525 | 26 | 97 | [10] |
| 2024 | Mookie Betts** | Los Angeles Dodgers | .289 | .372 | .491 | 19 | 75 | [11] |
See also
edit
References
edit- "MLB Awards: History (Awards: Silver Slugger)". Major League Baseball. Retrieved March 9, 2009.
- Inline citations
- ^ a b c McCalvy, Adam (November 13, 2008). "Braun nets first Silver Slugger Award". Brewers.MLB.com. Retrieved March 9, 2009.
- ^ "Louisville Slugger – The Silver Slugger Awards". Louisville Slugger. Archived from the original on May 30, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2009.
- ^ "What are the Silver Bat and Silver Slugger Team Awards?". Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
- ^ "Versatility rewarded: Silver Slugger added for utility players". MLB.com. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
- ^ "2022 Minnesota Twins Batting, Pitching, and Fielding Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ "2023 Baltimore Orioles Batting, Pitching, and Fielding Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
- ^ "2024 Texas Rangers Batting, Pitching, and Fielding Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
- ^ "2022 Cincinnati Reds Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ "2022 San Diego Padres Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ "2023 Chicago Cubs Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
- ^ "2024 Los Angeles Dodger Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 12, 2024.