Silver Slugger Award
Sport | Baseball |
---|---|
League | Major League Baseball |
Awarded for | Best offensive player at each position in the American League and National League |
Presented by | Hillerich & Bradsby |
History | |
First award | 1980 |
The Silver Slugger Award is awarded annually to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball. 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]
When the prize is presented to outfielders, it is irrespective of their specific position.[4][5] This means that it is possible for three left fielders, or any other combination of outfielders, to win the award in the same year, rather than one left fielder, one center fielder, and one right fielder. From 1980 to 2019, and in 2021, pitchers in only the National League received a Silver Slugger Award;[5] lineups in the American League include a designated hitter in place of the pitcher in the batting order,[6] so the designated hitter receives the award instead.[4] In 2020, MLB implemented a universal designated hitter rule for both leagues as part of the shortened season and changes mandated by the COVID-19 pandemic; as a result, there were no Silver Slugger Awards for pitchers in either league and the NL awarded one to a DH for the first time.[7] Starting in 2022, the pitcher Silver Slugger Award was retired and was permanently replaced with the DH award in the National League, after it fully adopted the designated hitter.[8] In addition, a tenth Silver Slugger Award will be awarded to utility players (i.e. players who can play multiple fielding positions) beginning that season.[9]
Home run record-holder Barry Bonds[10] won twelve Silver Slugger Awards in his career as an outfielder, the most of any player.[5][11] He also won the award in five consecutive seasons twice in his career: from 1990 to 1994, and again from 2000 to 2004. Retired former New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza and former Seattle Mariners shortstop Alex Rodriguez are tied for second, with ten wins each.[4][5] Rodriguez' awards are split between two positions; he won seven Silver Sluggers as a shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers, and three with the Yankees as a third baseman.[12] Wade Boggs leads third basemen with eight Silver Slugger Awards;[4][13] Barry Larkin leads shortstops with nine.[5][14] Other leaders include Ryne Sandberg (seven wins as a second baseman)[5][15] and Mike Hampton (five wins as a pitcher).[5][16] Todd Helton[5][17] and Albert Pujols[5][18] are tied for the most wins among first baseman with four, although Pujols has won two awards at other positions. David Ortiz has won seven awards at designated hitter position, the most at that position.[19] In 2018, J. D. Martinez collected two Silver Slugger Awards (one as a designated hitter and the other as an outfielder), which marks the first, and so far only, time a player has accomplished that feat.
Key
Year | Links to the corresponding Major League Baseball season |
1B | First baseman (list of winners) |
2B | Second baseman (list of winners) |
3B | Third baseman (list of winners) |
SS | Shortstop (list of winners) |
OF | Outfielder (list of winners) |
C | Catcher (list of winners) |
P | Pitcher (list of winners) |
DH | Designated hitter (list of winners) |
UT | Utility player |
* 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
Source:[20]
National League winners
Source:[20]
(^) = A universal designated hitter rule was implemented on a temporary basis during the 2020 MLB season and was fully implemented starting in 2022; the National League awarded its first Silver Slugger for DH in 2020. No award for pitchers was given.
See also
- Hank Aaron Award (best hitter in each league)
- Edgar Martínez Award: given to the best-designated hitter (American League)
- This Year in Baseball Awards (including hitter)
- Major League Baseball Triple Crown
- List of Major League Baseball awards
- Baseball awards § United States
- Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c d "Silver Slugger Award Winners — American League". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Silver Slugger Award Winners — National League". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2009.
- ^ "Official Rules: 6.00 The Batter". Major League Baseball. Retrieved March 9, 2009.
- ^ "Here are this year's Silver Slugger winners". MLB.com. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- ^ "Everything you need to know about '22 season". MLB.com. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
- ^ "Versatility rewarded: Silver Slugger added for utility players". MLB.com. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
- ^ "Embattled Bonds' urine sample tested positive, report". Google News. Agence France-Presse. February 3, 2009. Retrieved March 9, 2009.
- ^ "Barry Bonds Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2009.
- ^ "Alex Rodriguez Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2009.
- ^ "Wade Boggs Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2009.
- ^ "Barry Larkin Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2009.
- ^ "Ryne Sandberg Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2009.
- ^ "Mike Hampton Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2009.
- ^ "Todd Helton Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2009.
- ^ "Albert Pujols Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
- ^ "David Ortiz Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2009.
- ^ a b "Silver Slugger Award". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
External links
- All-time winners at MLB.com
- Silver Slugger Awards at slugger.com via Wayback Machine