The Silver Slugger Awards 2023 has wrapped up, with seven players making their debut.
They are:
First Base: Yandy Diaz of the Tampa Bay Rays and Matt Olson of the Atlanta Braves
Outfield: Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox and Kyle Tucker of the Houston Astros
Catcher: Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles and William Contreras of the Milwaukee Brewers
Utility: Gunnar Henderson of the Orioles
Seven other players got their second.
The ones with the most wins so far among active players are Mookie Betts, who received his sixth, and San Diego Padres' Juan Sotto, who got his fourth for Best Outfielder.
Many Silver Slugger Awards 2023 winners still have years ahead of them to win more.
They have to be consistent night in and night out to reach the records set by their predecessors.
Who has the most wins in each position?
1. Pitcher
Mike Hampton has the most Silver Slugger in this position. He played 17 seasons for seven teams. He won the award for five consecutive seasons from 1999 to 2003. He won it first for the Houston Astros. He moved to the New York Mets and then to the Colorado Rockies, where he won the award four times. Atlanta Braves legend Tom Glavine comes in second for most wins with four.
2. Catcher
If the award will be used to determine who is the best catcher in MLB, that title will go to Mike Piazza, who won it 10 times. Iván Rodríguez is in second place with seven. Piazza won them while playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers (7 seasons) and the Mets (7 seasons)
3. First baseman
Paul Goldschmidt is the only active player on the Silver Slugger record holders list. He was named the best first baseman five times while playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2011 to 2018. He has moved on from the D-backs and is now with the St. Louis Cardinals.
4. Second baseman
Ryne Sandberg may not have found much luck in coaching, but he is the best second baseman of his time. Sandberg won the award seven times while playing for the Chicago Cubs. During this time, he also made multiple All-Star appearances.
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5. Third baseman
Wade Boggs won the Silver Slugger six times with the Boston Red Sox. He moved on to the New York Yankees and won it again twice. Interestingly, he won the World Series in 1996 when he was not hailed the best third baseman.
6. Shortstop
Barry Larkin won the award nine times, the second most in history. He spent his career entirely with the Cincinnati Reds, and that partnership was productive for both parties. Larkin received the distinction five straight times (1998-1992) and won it again in 1995, 1996, 1998, and 1999. He also won the World Series in 1990.
7. Outfielder
Barry Bonds owns the distinction of most Silver Slugger awards ever with 12. Los Angeles' Mike Trout comes second with nine. He could probably add more. He was declared the league's best Outfielder while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants (1998-2007).
8. Designated Hitter
David Ortiz is the best hitman in the history of MLB, as he has won the award seven times. He started his career with the Minnesota Twins but only found his niche when he transferred to the Boston Red Sox in 2003. He won all his silver bats while with the Red Sox.
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