Silver Slugger Award Explained

Silver Slugger Award
Sport:	Baseball
League:	Major League Baseball
Description:	Best offensive player at each position in the American League and National League
Presenter:	Hillerich & Bradsby
Year:	1980

The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 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 statistics, including batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage, as well as their "general impressions of a player's overall offensive value".^[1] They are not permitted to vote for players on their team.

The award is a bat-shaped trophy, three feet (91 cm) tall, engraved with the names of each of the winners from the league and plated with sterling silver.^[2] It is given by Hillerich & Bradsby, the manufacturer of Louisville Slugger bats.^[3]

Ten Silver Slugger Awards are given each year per league. One each goes to a catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop. Three outfielders receive the award, irrespective of their specific position;^{[4] [5]} for instance, three left fielders could win the award in a given year. One award goes to a designated hitter (a player who bats in place of the pitcher) and one to a utility player (a player who can play multiple fielding positions).^{[6] [7] [8]}

Pitchers in the National League received a Silver Slugger Award each year until 2019 and in 2021. In the COVID-shortened season, MLB allowed National League teams to use a designated hitter, so an NL DH received a Silver Slugger Award for the first time.^[9] In 2022, MLB permanently allowed both leagues to use the DH. That year also saw the introduction of the Utility Player Award.

Home run record-holder Barry Bonds^[10] won 12 Silver Slugger Awards, the most of any player,^[11] and won the award in five consecutive seasons twice: from 1990 to 1994, and again from 2000 to 2004. Mike Piazza and Alex Rodriguez are tied for second, with ten each. Piazza is also the winningest catcher, having won all ten playing at the position. Rodriguez 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 awards;^[13] Barry Larkin leads shortstops with nine.^[14] Other leaders include Ryne Sandberg (seven wins as a second baseman),^[15] Mike Hampton (five wins as a pitcher),^[16] and Paul Goldschmidt (five wins as a first baseman).^[17] David Ortiz has won seven awards as a designated hitter, the most at that position.^[18] In 2018, J. D. Martinez collected two Silver Slugger Awards: one as a designated hitter and the other as an outfielder, becoming the only player to win twice in one year. In 2021, Max Fried became the final pitcher to win a Silver Slugger Award.

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
	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

Year	1B	2B	3B	SS	OF	OF	OF	C	DH	UT
			^†	^†					^†	N/A
					^†	^†		^†		N/A
				^†	^†	^†				N/A
	^†		^†	^†	^†	^†				N/A
	^†			^†	^†	^†				N/A
			^†	^†	^†	^†		^†		N/A
			^†	^†		^†				N/A
			^†	^†		^†			^†	N/A
	^†		^†	^†		^†		^†	^†	N/A
	^†		^†	^†		^†	^†		^†	N/A
				^†	^†					N/A
			^†	^†		^†			^†	N/A
		^†	^†			^†			^†	N/A
	^†		^†	^†		^†			^†	N/A
	^†		^†	^†		^†	^†	^†		N/A
								^†	^†	N/A
		^†	^†			^†		^†	^†	N/A
						^†		^†	^†	N/A
						^†		^†		N/A
		^†				^†		^†		N/A
		^†							^†	N/A
									^†	N/A
										N/A
									^†	N/A
						^†		^†	^†	N/A
						^†			^†	N/A
				^†		^†		^†	^†	N/A
				^†		^†			^†	N/A
				^†				^†		N/A
				^†				^†		N/A
			^†					^†	^†	N/A
			^†						^†	N/A
				^†						N/A
								^†	^†	N/A
			^†							N/A
										N/A
									^†	N/A
										N/A
										N/A
										N/A
										N/A
										N/A

Source:^[19]

National League winners

Year	1B	2B	3B	SS	OF	OF	OF	C	P	DH^	UT
			^†			^†		^†		N/A	N/A
			^†			^†		^†		N/A	N/A
		^†	^†					^†		N/A	N/A
			^†			^†				N/A	N/A
		^†	^†			^†		^†		N/A	N/A
		^†						^†		N/A	N/A
			^†		^†	^†		^†		N/A	N/A
				^†	^†	^†				N/A	N/A
		^†		^†						N/A	N/A
		^†		^†		^†		^†		N/A	N/A
	^†	^†		^†						N/A	N/A
		^†		^†					^†	N/A	N/A
	^†	^†		^†		^†				N/A	N/A
	^†							^†		N/A	N/A
	^†	^†				^†		^†		N/A	N/A
		^†		^†		^†		^†	^†	N/A	N/A
				^†				^†	^†	N/A	N/A
	^†	^†				^†	^†	^†	^†	N/A	N/A
		^†		^†				^†	^†	N/A	N/A
	^†		^†	^†		^†	^†	^†		N/A	N/A
	^†		^†			^†		^†		N/A	N/A
	^†							^†		N/A	N/A
	^†		^†			^†		^†		N/A	N/A
	^†									N/A	N/A
			^†							N/A	N/A
										N/A	N/A
										N/A	N/A
										N/A	N/A
										N/A	N/A
										N/A	N/A
										N/A	N/A
										N/A	N/A
										N/A	N/A
										N/A	N/A
										N/A	N/A
										N/A	N/A
										N/A	N/A
										N/A	N/A
										N/A	N/A
										N/A	N/A
									N/A		N/A
										N/A	N/A
									N/A
									N/A

Source:^[19]

(^) = A universal designated hitter rule was implemented temporarily during the MLB season and was fully implemented starting in ; 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

• Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame
• Gold Glove Award the defensive equivalent of the award

External links

• All-time winners at MLB.com
• Silver Slugger Awards at slugger.com via Wayback Machine

Notes and References

1. Web site: Braun nets first Silver Slugger Award. McCalvy. Adam. November 13, 2008. Brewers.MLB.com. March 9, 2009.
2. Web site: What are the Silver Bat and Silver Slugger Team Awards? . Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory . April 15, 2009 . dead . https://archive.today/20120910100213/http://www.sluggermuseum.org/faqs.aspx?id=31308865 . September 10, 2012 .
3. Web site: Louisville Slugger — The Silver Slugger Awards . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130530180441/http://slugger.com/silverslugger/index.html . May 30, 2013 . March 9, 2009 . Louisville Slugger.
4. Web site: Silver Slugger Award Winners — American League. Baseball-Reference.com. March 9, 2009.
5. Web site: Silver Slugger Award Winners — National League. Baseball-Reference.com. March 9, 2009.
6. Web site: Everything you need to know about '22 season . 2022-03-10 . MLB.com . en.
7. Web site: Versatility rewarded: Silver Slugger added for utility players . 2022-09-22 . MLB.com . en.
8. Web site: Official Rules: 6.00 The Batter . March 9, 2009 . Major League Baseball.
9. Web site: Here are this year's Silver Slugger winners . 6 November 2020 . MLB.com . en.
10. Web site: Embattled Bonds' urine sample tested positive, report. https://archive.today/20130103003826/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hdH28nA94iNXKnzBSIugvdyMROtg. dead. January 3, 2013. February 3, 2009. Google News. Agence France-Presse. March 9, 2009.
11. Web site: Barry Bonds Statistics. Baseball-Reference.com. March 9, 2009.
12. Web site: Alex Rodriguez Statistics. Baseball-Reference.com. March 9, 2009.
13. Web site: Wade Boggs Statistics. Baseball-Reference.com. March 9, 2009.
14. Web site: Barry Larkin Statistics. Baseball-Reference.com. March 9, 2009.
15. Web site: Ryne Sandberg Statistics. Baseball-Reference.com. March 9, 2009.
16. Web site: Mike Hampton Statistics. Baseball-Reference.com. March 9, 2009.
17. Web site: Paul Goldschmidt Statistics. Baseball-Reference.com. December 14, 2022.
18. Web site: David Ortiz Statistics. Baseball-Reference.com. March 9, 2009.
19. Web site: Silver Slugger Award . . November 14, 2020.