Global InformationList of Silver Slugger Award winners at outfield information
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]
As with the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, the prize is presented to outfielders 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. It is also possible for outfield teammates to win the award in the same season, which has happened eight times since 1980.[2]
Among outfielders and among all Silver Slugger winners, Barry Bonds has won the most awards, winning twelve times between 1990 and 2004.[6] All of his awards were won in the National League.[6] Mike Trout leads the American League with nine wins,[7] followed by Manny Ramirez with eight.[8] Ken Griffey Jr., Vladimir Guerrero, and Tony Gwynn have each won seven Silver Sluggers in the outfield;[9][10][11] Mookie Betts, Juan González, Kirby Puckett and Sammy Sosa have won six times.[12][13][14][15] Three players have won five times (Albert Belle, Ryan Braun and Dave Winfield),[16][17][18] and four-time winners include Andre Dawson, Matt Holliday, Andrew McCutchen, Dale Murphy and Gary Sheffield.[19][20][21][22] There have also been 12 three-time outfield winners and 28 two-time awardees.[4][5] The most recent winners are Ronald Acuña Jr., Mookie Betts, and Juan Soto in the National League, and Luis Robert Jr., Julio Rodríguez, and Kyle Tucker in the American League.
Gwynn posted the highest batting average in an outfielder's winning season, batting .394 in the 1994 season[11] before it was truncated by the players' strike.[23] Magglio Ordóñez' 2007 average is the best in the American League (.363).[24] Bonds, the overall leader, holds three records: on-base percentage (.609 in 2004), slugging percentage (.863 in 2001) and home runs (73 in 2001).[6] The American League leaders in those categories include Belle (.714 slugging percentage in 1994),[16] Aaron Judge (62 home runs in 2022),[25] and Trout (.460 on-base percentage in 2018).[7] Ramírez also leads both leagues in runs batted in (RBI) during an outfielder's winning season, with 165 in 1999.[26] Sosa is the National League leader (160 RBI in 2001).[15]
- ^ a b c McCalvy, Adam (November 13, 2008). "Braun nets first Silver Slugger Award". Brewers.MLB.com. Major League Baseball. Retrieved March 9, 2009.
- ^ a b "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 "Silver Slugger Award Winners — American League". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2009.
- ^ a b "Silver Slugger Award Winners — National League". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2009.
- ^ a b c "Barry Bonds Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
- ^ a b "Mike Trout Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
- ^ "Manny Ramirez Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
- ^ "Ken Griffey Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
- ^ "Vladimir Guerrero Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
- ^ a b "Tony Gwynn Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
- ^ "Mookie Betts Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
- ^ "Juan Gonzalez Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
- ^ "Kirby Puckett Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
- ^ a b "Sammy Sosa Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
- ^ a b "Albert Belle Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
- ^ "Ryan Braun Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
- ^ "Dave Winfield Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
- ^ "Andre Dawson Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
- ^ "Andrew McCutchen Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
- ^ "Dale Murphy Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
- ^ "Gary Sheffield Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
- ^ Staudohar, Paul D (March 1, 1997). "The baseball strike of 1994–95" (PDF). Monthly Labor Review. pp. 21–27. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
- ^ "Magglio Ordonez Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
- ^ "Aaron Judge Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
- ^ "Manny Ramirez Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2009.