Silver Slugger Award

Template:Short description The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 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 statistics, including batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage, as well as their "general impressions of a player's overall offensive value". 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. It is given by Hillerich & Bradsby, the manufacturer of Louisville Slugger bats.

Ten Silver Slugger Awards are given each year per league individually. One each goes to a catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop. Three outfielders receive the award, irrespective of their specific position; 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). Additionally, since 2023, a Silver Slugger is also awarded to “the best offensive team” in each league.

NL pitchers received a Silver Slugger Award each year until 2019 and in 2021. In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, MLB allowed NL teams to use a designated hitter, so an NL DH received a Silver Slugger Award for the first time. 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 won 12 Silver Slugger Awards, the most of any player, 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. Wade Boggs leads third basemen with eight awards; Barry Larkin leads shortstops with nine. Other leaders include Jose Altuve, who is tied with Ryne Sandberg (seven wins as a second baseman), Mike Hampton (five wins as a pitcher), and Paul Goldschmidt (five wins as a first baseman). David Ortiz has won seven awards as a designated hitter, the most at that position. 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

File:20060825 Barry Bonds follow through.jpg

Barry Bonds (in white uniform) has won the most Silver Slugger Awards of any player, 12.

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 (list of winners)
*	Winner of the most Silver Slugger Awards at his position (* indicates tie)
†	Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

AL winners

Year	1B	2B	3B	SS	OF	OF	OF	C	DH	UT	Team
1980			†	†					†	N/A	N/A
1981					†	†		†		N/A	N/A
1982				†	†	†				N/A	N/A
1983	†		†	†	†	†				N/A	N/A
1984	†			†	†	†				N/A	N/A
1985			†	†	†	†		†		N/A	N/A
1986			†	†		†				N/A	N/A
1987			†	†		†			†	N/A	N/A
1988	†		†	†		†		†	†	N/A	N/A
1989	†		†	†		†	†		†	N/A	N/A
1990				†	†				†	N/A	N/A
1991			†	†		†			†	N/A	N/A
1992		†	†			†			†	N/A	N/A
1993	†		†	†		†			†	N/A	N/A
1994	†		†	†		†	†	†		N/A	N/A
1995								†	†	N/A	N/A
1996		†	†			†		†	†	N/A	N/A
1997						†		†	†	N/A	N/A
1998						†		†		N/A	N/A
1999		†				†		†		N/A	N/A
2000		†							†	N/A	N/A
2001					†				†	N/A	N/A
2002										N/A	N/A
2003									†	N/A	N/A
2004						†		†	†	N/A	N/A
2005						†			†	N/A	N/A
2006				†		†		†	†	N/A	N/A
2007				†	†	†			†	N/A	N/A
2008				†				†		N/A	N/A
2009				†	†			†		N/A	N/A
2010			†					†	†	N/A	N/A
2011			†						†	N/A	N/A
2012				†						N/A	N/A
2013								†	†	N/A	N/A
2014		*	†							N/A	N/A
2015		*								N/A	N/A
2016		*							†	N/A	N/A
2017		*								N/A	N/A
2018		*								N/A	N/A
2019										N/A	N/A
2020										N/A	N/A
2021										N/A	N/A
2022		*									N/A
2023											Texas Rangers
2024		*									New York Yankees
2025											New York Yankees

Source:

NL winners

Year	1B	2B	3B	SS	OF	OF	OF	C	P	DH^	UT	Team
1980			†			†		†		N/A	N/A	N/A
1981			†			†		†		N/A	N/A	N/A
1982		†	†					†		N/A	N/A	N/A
1983			†			†				N/A	N/A	N/A
1984		†*	†			†		†		N/A	N/A	N/A
1985		†*					†	†		N/A	N/A	N/A
1986			†		†	†	†	†		N/A	N/A	N/A
1987				†	†	†				N/A	N/A	N/A
1988		†*		†						N/A	N/A	N/A
1989		†*		†		†		†		N/A	N/A	N/A
1990	†	†*		†						N/A	N/A	N/A
1991		†*		†					†	N/A	N/A	N/A
1992	†	†*		†		†				N/A	N/A	N/A
1993	†							†		N/A	N/A	N/A
1994	†	†				†		†		N/A	N/A	N/A
1995		†		†		†		†	†	N/A	N/A	N/A
1996				†				†	†	N/A	N/A	N/A
1997	†	†				†	†	†	†	N/A	N/A	N/A
1998		†		†				†	†	N/A	N/A	N/A
1999	†		†	†		†	†	†		N/A	N/A	N/A
2000	†	†	†			†		†		N/A	N/A	N/A
2001	†	†						†		N/A	N/A	N/A
2002	†	†	†			†		†		N/A	N/A	N/A
2003	†									N/A	N/A	N/A
2004			†							N/A	N/A	N/A
2005		†								N/A	N/A	N/A
2006										N/A	N/A	N/A
2007										N/A	N/A	N/A
2008										N/A	N/A	N/A
2009										N/A	N/A	N/A
2010										N/A	N/A	N/A
2011										N/A	N/A	N/A
2012										N/A	N/A	N/A
2013										N/A	N/A	N/A
2014										N/A	N/A	N/A
2015										N/A	N/A	N/A
2016										N/A	N/A	N/A
2017										N/A	N/A	N/A
2018										N/A	N/A	N/A
2019										N/A	N/A	N/A
2020									N/A		N/A	N/A
2021										N/A	N/A	N/A
2022									N/A			N/A
2023									N/A			Atlanta Braves
2024									N/A			Los Angeles Dodgers
2025									N/A			Los Angeles Dodgers

Source:

(^) = A universal designated hitter rule was implemented temporarily during the 2020 MLB season and was fully implemented starting in 2022; the NL awarded its first Silver Slugger for DH in 2020. No award for pitchers was given.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball awards
  • Hank Aaron Award, recognizing the best hitter in each league
  • Edgar Martínez Award, recognizing the best designated hitter
  • Gold Glove Award, the defensive equivalent of the award
• Template:Section link
• Triple Crown (baseball)
• Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame

External links

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