Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels /VCG Photo
The MLB on Thursday announced the list of winners of the 2019 Silver Slugger Award for both the American League and the National League. Eight hitters received the honor for the first time in their career. Meanwhile, multi-time winners include Mike Trout who won it for the seventh time in nine seasons.
First-time winners:
Mitch Garver, AL, Minnesota Twins, catcher
Carlos Santana, AL, Cleveland Indians, first base
Freddie Freeman, NL, Atlanta Braves, first base
DJ LeMahieu, AL, New York Yankees, second base
Ozzie Albies, NL, Atlanta Braves, second base
Alex Bregman, AL, Houston Astros, third base
Cody Bellinger, NL, Los Angeles Dodgers, outfield
Ronald Acuna Jr. NL, Atlanta Braves, outfield
Freddie Freeman (C), Ozzie Albies (R) and Ronald Acuna Jr. (L) of the Atlanta Braves /VCG Photo
The Braves saw three of their players' names on the list, which partly explained their incredible firepower this season. Four-time All-Star Freeman stayed in the team for nine years and did not leave even in the most difficult time. In the past season, he had 176 hits and a career-high 38 home runs.
Freeman was joined by his teammates Albies and Acuna Jr. The former achieved 189 home runs, the NL's most. The latter became the youngest player to hit 40 or more homers (41) and steal 30 or more bases (37).
Multi-time winners:
J.T. Realmuto, NL, Philadelphia Phillies, catcher (second)
Anthony Rendon, NL, Washington Nationals, third base (second)
Xander Bogaerts, AL, Boston Red Sox, shortstop (third)
Trevor Story, NL, Colorado Rockies, shortstop (second)
Mike Trout, AL, Los Angeles Angels, outfield (seventh)
George Springer, AL, Houston Astros, outfield (second)
Mookie Betts, AL, Boston Red Sox, outfield (third)
Christian Yelich, NL, Milwaukee Brewers, outfield (third)
Nelson Cruz, AL, Minnesota Twins, designated hitter (third)
Zack Greinke, NL, Houston Astros, pitcher (second)
Xander Bogaerts (R) and Mookie Betts (L) of the Boston Red Sox /VCG Photo
The four sluggers who won the silver award three times are all old faces. 26-year-old Bogaerts reached multiple career highs - OPS (.939), doubles (52), home runs (33) and RBIs (117) – last season in the Red Sox. His teammate Betts, the 2018 AL MVP, though saw his numbers drop a little, the MLB-leading 135 runs was still worth the third Silver Slugger Award.
Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers /VCG Photo
How did the Brewers miss the wild card? Because Yelich had his right kneecap fractured and his replacement gave the Nationals the valuable three points. But let's focus on the 2018 NL MVP's offense: He led his league in batting average (.329) and on-base percentage (.429) and the Majors in slugging percentage (.671) and OPS+ (1.100).
Nelson Cruz of the Minnesota Twins /VCG Photo
What did 38-year-old Cruz achieve in the 2019 season? He helped the Twins lead the Majors in home runs (307); his OPS of 1.031 ranked No. 2in the AL; he had the league's third-most 41 homers, including the 400th in his career. He is 38 years old, but so what?
Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels /VCG Photo
It's hardly news that Trout received a Silver Slugger Award – he only missed it twice in nine seasons – the 2011 rookie season and the 2017 injury season. It's true he missed the last three weeks of the season but just take a look at his on-base percentage (.438), slugging (.645) and OPS+ (185), you will know why Trout is worth the biggest contract in MLB history – a 12-year, 426.5-million-U.S.-dollar deal.