MIAMI.- Major League Baseball recognized the best hitters of the 2023 season with the announcement of the winners of the Louisville Silver Slugger Award on MLB Network.
The Silver Slugger awards, which are voted on by MLB managers and coaches, are awarded to the best offensive player at each position in each league. That includes three outfielders (regardless of specific position) per circuit and one utility player in each league. And, for the first time, a team award was given in both the American League and the National League.
Sixteen teams had at least one Silver Slugger winner, while the Braves led the way with three. The Orioles and Rangers also had multiple winners. This group of 20 players includes seven first-time winners and one rookie.
LA Winner: Yandy Díaz, Rays (first Silver Slugger)
After becoming the first Rays player to win a batting title, Cuban Díaz won the franchise’s first Silver Slugger since 2010. Díaz hit .300 or better in every month of the season, and his .330 was the best of the franchise. He was one of six players who posted a batting line of at least .300/.400/.500. His .410 on-base percentage was the highest among first basemen.
NL Winner: Matt Olson, Braves (first)
Olson was typically the cleanup hitter in the Braves’ fearsome offense, and boy did he do his job. The Atlanta native led the Major Leagues in home runs and RBIs, while his .604 slugging percentage was the best in the National League. His 54 home runs and 139 RBIs were tops in Braves history. They were also the best marks for a first baseman in more than a decade.
SECOND BASE
LA Winner: Marcus Semien, Rangers (second)
For the second time in three years, Semien won the Silver Slugger and was named a finalist for the AL MVP. He led the American League with 122 runs and 185 hits, and his 7.4 bWAR was the second best in his circuit, behind by Shohei Ohtani. Semien’s 73 extra-base hits and 320 bases hit set the standard among waiters. He also hit 100 for the second time in his career.
LN winner: Luis Arraez, Marlins (second)
Venezuelan Arraez and Ted Williams were often mentioned in the same sentence this season, as the Miami spark plug maintained a .400 average until the end of June. Arráez, who finished with a .354 average, won his second consecutive Silver Slugger after his second straight batting title, a historic achievement. After being traded from the Twins in the offseason, Arráez became the first player in the Modern Era (since 1900) to win a batting title in each league in consecutive seasons.
LA Winner: Corey Seager, Rangers (third)
Almost any player would have loved to have the statistics Seager put up during the regular season. He had 33 home runs, 96 RBIs, 88 runs scored and 42 doubles. But those totals are even more impressive considering Seager missed about six weeks due to injuries. He finished second in the AL in batting average (.327), slugging percentage (.623) and OPS (1.013).
NL Winner: Francisco Lindor, Mets (third)
Puerto Rican Lindor took a little while to catch on at the plate, but in his last 90 games he posted a .288/.371/.516 line with 19 home runs and 54 IC. He finished with 31 home runs and 31 steals, a career high, becoming one of six shortstops to go 30-30.
THIRD BASE
LA Winner: Rafael Devers, Red Sox (second)
The Dominican Devers, in his 26-year-old season, reached the figure of 30 homers and 100 RBIs for the third time in his career. It was also his fourth season with at least 65 extra-base hits and an OPS+ over 125. He hit the ball all year long, posting a career-high 55.1% hard-hit rate, which was tied for the sixth highest in MLB this year.
NL Winner: Austin Riley, Braves (second)
Like Devers, Riley enjoyed a monster 2023 at age 26. He led third basemen in runs (117), hits (179), home runs (37), extra-base hits (72), bases reached (328) and OPS (.861). Riley has hit 30 or more homers three times in his career; Hall of Famers Eddie Mathews and Chipper Jones are the only players with more such seasons in a Braves jersey.OUTFIELD
LA Winners
Luis Robert Jr., White Sox (first)
Cuban Robert increased his power in a big way, hitting 38 home runs in 546 games after hitting a total of 36 in the first 857 games of his career. His 75 extra-base hits were the most among AL outfielders and the most by a White Sox outfielder since Jermaine Dye in 2008.
Julio Rodríguez, Mariners (second)
What can you do after winning a Balanta Bat as a rookie and being the first player to hit 25 home runs and 25 steals in his debut year? Win the award again with a 30-30 in your second year. Thanks to his 32 home runs, 37 steals and an OPS of .818, Dominican Rodríguez was the first player to win this award in each of his first two seasons in the Major Leagues, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Kyle Tucker, Astros (first)
While the Astros were without José Altuve and Yordan Álvarez for much of the season due to injuries, Tucker was there to fill the void. He had a .284/.369/.517 line and finished one home run shy of Houston’s first 30-30 season since 2004. Tucker, who hit .354 with runners in scoring position, drove in a season-leading 112 runs. American League.
LN Winners
Ronald Coin Jr., Braves (third)
The 25-year-old Venezuelan won his third Silver Slugger after an unprecedented season in which he hit 41 home runs and stole 73 bases. His special combination of power and speed grabbed the headlines, but his maturation as a hitter should not be overlooked. Acuña cut his strikeout rate by more than half in the span of a year, from 23.6% to 11.4%. That played a big role in his major league-best .416 OBP.
Mookie Betts, Dodgers (sexto)
Betts put pressure on Acuña in the NL MVP race by hitting .364 with a 1.075 OPS in the final two months of the season. He hit .307/.408/.579 – his best marks in each category since he was American League MVP in 2018 – and hit 39 homers, his career high. He recorded 80 extra-base hits for the second time and led all position players – other than Shohei Ohtani – with an 8.3 bWAR.
Juan Soto, Parents (fourth)
Dominican Soto’s season did not attract as much attention as that of the two names mentioned in this position, but it was accompanied by great numbers. Among them, a personal best of 35 homers, an OBP of .410 and an OPS+ of 158. With 132 walks, Soto became the first player since Barry Bonds from 2002 to 2004 to lead MLB in walks during three consecutive years.
CATCHER
Winner LA: Adley Rutschman, Orioles (first)
Rutschman continued his solid rookie season by hitting .277 with 20 home runs and 80 RBI this year. The 25-year-old showed fantastic plate discipline by taking 92 walks, the highest at his position. His 256 bases were also the most among catchers and the second-most by a leadoff hitter in Orioles history.
NL Winner: William Contreras, Brewers (first)
The Brewers acquired Venezuelan Contreras via trade last winter to add more power to their lineup, and he delivered 17 home runs. He led all qualified catchers in doubles (38), extra-base hits (56) and slugging percentage (.457). After a slight slump in May and June, Contreras hit .314 with an OPS of .873 after the All-Star break.
DESIGNATED HITTER
Winner LA: Shohei Ohtani, Angelinos (second)
Ohtani could soon add his second American League MVP to his second Silver Slugger. He was sublime with the bat in his free agent year, finishing with 44 home runs and leading the Major Leagues with an OPS+ of 184. His .412 on-base percentage and 325 bases reached were the best marks in the Young Circuit. And of course, he accomplished all of this while still being a top-notch starting pitcher.
NL Winner: Bryce Harper, Phillies (third)
Despite not having debuted until May 2 after elbow surgery in the preseason and seeing his power diminish a little, Harper still hit 21 home runs and 51 extra-base hits this year. He went 37 games without a home run midway through the season, but once he broke that streak on July 15, he looked like the player we all know. From that day on, Harper hit 18 homers and posted a 1.000 OPS in his last 68 games.UTILITY
LA Winner: Gunnar Henderson, Orioles (first)
The American League Rookie of the Year favorite was also the 15th rookie to win a Silver Slugger. Henderson hit 28 home runs, scored 100 runs, hit 66 extra-base hits and posted a 125 OPS+ while splitting time between shortstop and third base.
NL Winner: Cody Bellinger, Cubs (second)
Whether it was in center field or first base, Bellinger made the most of his one-year contract with Chicago. After compiling a 1.0 bWAR over the past three seasons, he posted a 4.4 bWAR with the Cubs. Bellinger hit .307 with 26 home runs and an .881 OPS. He also reduced his strikeout rate to just 15.6%, after having been above 25% in 2021 and 2022.
OFFENSIVE TEAMS OF THE YEAR
This year also marks the first time that Silver Slugger awards have been given to the best offensive team in each league. The winners, the Rangers in the American League and the Braves in the National League, were determined by a combination of collective offensive statistics and the vote of fans, who voted for the finalists through MLB.com during the final week of the season. regular season.
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2023-11-12 17:02:42
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