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]
From 1980 to 2019, and in 2021, a Silver Slugger Award for designated hitters (DH) was only given in the American League, [4] because use of a DH in place of the pitcher in the batting order was prohibited in the National League; [5] a Silver Slugger Award for pitchers was given for the National League instead. [6] In the 2020 season, the National League temporarily allowed use of the designated hitter, and no pitcher was awarded the Silver Slugger Award. An award was given instead to the best designated hitter in the National League. The first NL Silver Slugger Award for designated hitter was given to Marcell Ozuna. Beginning in 2022, the pitcher Silver Slugger Award was retired after MLB announced the full-time implementation of the universal DH rule in both leagues. The Silver Slugger Award for DH is now awarded in both leagues.
David Ortiz has won the most Silver Sluggers as a designated hitter, capturing four consecutively from 2004 to 2007, and winning again in 2011, 2013 and 2016. [7] Two players are tied with four wins. Paul Molitor won the award four times with three different teams: the Milwaukee Brewers in 1987 and 1988; the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993, when the team won the World Series; and the Minnesota Twins in 1996. [8] Edgar Martínez won the award four times with the Seattle Mariners (1995, 1997, 2001, 2003). [9] Don Baylor won the Silver Slugger three times in four years (1983, 1985–1986) as a designated hitter with the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, [10] and Frank Thomas won it twice with the Chicago White Sox (1991, 2000). [11] , and Shohei Ohtani also won the award twice with the Los Angeles Angels (2021, 2023). [12] Harold Baines won the award while playing for two separate teams in the same season; he was traded by the White Sox to the Texas Rangers in the middle of the 1989 season. [13] Shohei Ohtani and Bryce Harper were the most recent winners.
Martínez set the records for the highest batting average and on-base percentage in a designated hitter's winning season with his .356 and .479 marks, respectively, in 1995. [9] Shohei Ohtani's slugging percentage of .654 is best among all winners at the position. [12] Ortiz hit 54 home runs during the 2006 season, when he won his third consecutive award, [7] and his 2005 total of 148 runs batted in is tied with Rafael Palmeiro's 1999 mark for best among designated hitters. [7] [14]
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 Sluggers in Major League Baseball as a designated hitter (** indicates tie) |
† | Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum |
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the temporary implementation of a universal DH during the shortened season. A Silver Slugger Award for designated hitter in the National League was given for the first time. Starting in 2022, the National League adopted the designated hitter permanently, and the pitcher Silver Slugger Award was retired in favor of a similar honor for NL designated hitters.
Year | Player | Team | AVG | OBP | SLG | HR | RBI | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Marcell Ozuna | Atlanta Braves | .338 | .431 | .636 | 18 | 56 | [60] |
2021 | National League designated hitters' Silver Slugger Award not given | |||||||
2022 | Josh Bell | Washington Nationals San Diego Padres | .266 | .362 | .422 | 17 | 71 | [61] [62] |
2023 | Bryce Harper | Philadelphia Phillies | .293 | .401 | .499 | 21 | 72 | [63] |
The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and by the National League in 2022, making it universal in MLB. Within that time frame, nearly all amateur, collegiate, and professional leagues worldwide have adopted the designated hitter or some variant, except for Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League.
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.
Víctor Jesús Martínez, also known by his nickname "V-Mart", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball designated hitter and catcher. Martínez played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, and Detroit Tigers. After joining the Tigers, he played mostly as a designated hitter.
Dwight Michael "Dewey" Evans is an American former professional baseball right fielder and right-handed batter who played with the Boston Red Sox (1972–1990) and Baltimore Orioles (1991) in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was a three-time All-Star, won eight Gold Glove Awards, and won two Silver Slugger Awards. Evans played the second-most career games for the Red Sox of any player, surpassed only by Carl Yastrzemski.
Nelson Ramón Cruz Martínez Jr. is a Dominican-American former professional baseball designated hitter and right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Nationals, and San Diego Padres. Cruz is a seven-time MLB All-Star. Known for his power hitting, he has won four Silver Slugger Awards and two Edgar Martínez Awards.
The Edgar Martínez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award, commonly referred to as the Edgar Martínez Award and originally known as the Outstanding Designated Hitter Award, has been presented annually to the most outstanding designated hitter (DH) in Major League Baseball (MLB) since 1973. The award is voted on by club beat reporters, broadcasters, and public relations departments. The Associated Press discontinued the award in 2000, but it was picked up by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, which has administered it since. All players with a minimum of 100 at bats at DH are eligible. From the award's inception in 1973 until 2019, and in 2021, use of the designated hitter was allowed only in the American League (AL).
The 1983 Boston Red Sox season was the 83rd season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. The Red Sox finished sixth in the American League East with a record of 78 wins and 84 losses, 20 games behind the Baltimore Orioles, who went on to win the 1983 World Series. It was the Red Sox' first losing season since 1966.
The 1986 Boston Red Sox season was the 86th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. The Red Sox finished first in the American League East with a record of 95 wins and 66 losses. After defeating the California Angels in the ALCS, the Red Sox lost the World Series to the New York Mets in seven games.
The 1988 Boston Red Sox season was the 88th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. The Red Sox finished first in the American League East with a record of 89 wins and 73 losses, but were then swept by the Oakland Athletics in the ALCS.
The 2002 Boston Red Sox season was the 102nd season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. The Red Sox finished second in the American League East with a record of 93 wins and 69 losses, 10+1⁄2 games behind the New York Yankees. The Red Sox did not qualify for the postseason, as the AL wild card went to the Anaheim Angels, who had finished second in the American League West with a record of 99–63.
Julio Daniel Martinez is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He made his MLB debut in 2011. A right-handed thrower and batter, Martinez stands 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall and weighs 230 pounds (100 kg).
Shohei Ohtani, nicknamed "Shotime", is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher and designated hitter who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels and for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball's (NPB) Pacific League. Widely acclaimed for his skill in both pitching and batting, he has been compared to two-way players such as Babe Ruth and Bullet Rogan, although such comparisons draw debate given the difference in era and overall ability of modern players.
Rafael Devers Calcaño is a Dominican professional baseball third baseman for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2017. Devers won the Silver Slugger Award in 2021 and 2023 and was an All-Star in 2021 and 2022.
In sports that require a player to play on offense and defense, a two-way player refers to a player who excels at both. In sports where a player typically specializes on offense or defense, or on pitching or batting, it refers to a player who chooses to do both.