Just a few days after releasing the winners of the 2020 Gold Glove award, Major League Baseball has handed out the hardware for the 2020 Silver Slugger award winners. The big hardware like MVP and Cy Young will be announced next week, but for now, the league has announced the winners of the Silver Slugger.
Major League Baseball announced the Silver Slugger awards during a presentation on MLB Network. Take a look at the winner’s from the American League (AL) and National League (NL) at each respective position!
Congrats to the 2020 Silver Slugger Award Winners ? pic.twitter.com/WH6Ty7EVAC
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 5, 2020
Catcher
- AL: Salvador Perez (KCR)
- NL: Travis d’Arnaud (ATL)
First Base
- AL: José Abreu (CWS)
- NL: Freddie Freeman (ATL)
Second Base
- AL: D.J. Lemahieu (NYY)
- NL: Donovan Solano (SFG)
Third Base
- AL: José Ramirez (CLE)
- NL: Manny Machado (SDP)
Shortstop
- AL: Tim Anderson (CWS)
- NL: Fernando Tatis Jr. (SDP)
Outfield
- AL: Teoscar Hernández (TOR)
- AL: Eloy Jiménez (CWS)
- AL: Mike Trout (LAA)
- NL: Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL)
- NL: Mookie Betts (LAD)
- NL: Juan Soto (WSH)
Designated Hitter
- AL: Nelson Cruz (MIN)
- NL: Marcell Ozuna(ATL)
As the awards closed out, some interesting names were included. In a season where things were shortened to 60-games, and some players were able to ride a hot start into a full season of greatness, others were the usual names on the list.
Some first-time winners like Donovan Solano, Teoscar Hernandez, and Travis d’Arnaud made the cut for the first time in their careers. Manny Machado’s silver slugger win over at third base is the first of his career, which may come as a shock to some. Both of the shortstops and Machado’s battery mate Tatis Jr. were both taking home their first nominations for the award.
While Tim Anderson won the Batting Title in 2019, he takes home his first Silver Slugger award for his 2020 performance on a young Chicago White Sox team that is looking like a force to be reckoned with in the coming years. Teammate Eloy Jiménez also took home his first Silver Slugger as well.
Unlike Anderson in 2019, Nationals youngster Juan Soto was the 2020 NL Batting Title winner, and he also takes home a Silver Slugger for his impressive performance in the shortened season.
To no one’s surprise, Mike Trout takes home another Silver Slugger, making it eight total over the course of his ten-year big league career. Betts adds his fourth silver slugger to his resume to his growing resume as he looks to take home an NL MVP award, making him a winner of the MVP award in both the NL and the AL.
