Silver Slugger Prize 2022 Winners

Major League Baseball honored the best hitters of the 2022 season Thursday night when the winners of the Louisville Silver Slugger Award were announced on MLB Network.

The Silver Slugger Awards, voted on by MLB managers and coaches, are awarded to the best offensive player in each position in every league. This includes three outside players (regardless of their specific position) in each league, and for the first time one assistant player in each league.

This year’s award pool includes 10 first-time winners. The Padres led all clubs with three winners—three of whom came to San Diego on the trade deadline—while the Cardinals, Dodgers and Phillies each had two on the National League side. As for the MLS, nine teams were represented among the ten winners, and the Astros were the only AL team to have multiple winners.

These are the 2022 Silver Slugger Prize winners:

AL WINNER: Nathaniel Lowe, Rangers (first win)

Lowe had a breakthrough year for Texas, cutting .302/.358/.492 with 27 pips and 76 RBI. The 26-year-old set career highs in home runs, RBIs, batting average, OBP, slowdown percentage, OPS+ (141) and total bases (292).

Premier League winner: Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals (5th win)

Goldschmidt, who is also a nominee for the NL MVP Award and Hank Aaron Award Winner As the top offensive player in the top circle, he earned his fifth career Silver Slugger – but was the first Cardinal. His previous four (2013, 15, 17 and 18) all came as a member of the linebacker D. For this season, Goldschmidt is at .317 with 35 points on home ground and 115 RBI, all while leading the NL in slowdown (.578), OPS (.981) and OPS + (180).

AL Winner: Jose Altuve, Astros (6th win)

Altuve rediscovered what Silver Slugger looks like in 2022, winning his first honor since taking five consecutive Silver Slugger awards from 2014-18. Second baseman hit the Astros at 0.300 with a 28 Homer and 0.921 OPS, while also hitting 18 base steals and scoring 103 points.

Eredivisie winner: Jeff McNeil, Mets (first win)

McNeil has led all players with an average of 0.326 this season, becoming the first Mets player to win an NL batting title since Jose Reyes in 2011 — and the only player in franchise history to lead the team overall. McNeil also scored 39 doubles this season, tied with the Tuff for the most players to have played at least 100 games at second base.

AL Winner: Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox (5th win)

Bogarts are home for the second consecutive Silver Slugger — and fifth overall — after cutting .307/.377/.456 this season. Both .307 and .377 averages on a percentage basis led all eligible short stops.

NL Winner: Trea Turner, Dodgers (first win)

Turner reaches the free agent market as the number one Silver Slugger winner after collecting 21 homers, 100 RBI and 27 stolen bases this season. He was the only short player to have at least 20 house hurdles and 20 stolen bases, plus he’s the only one to score at least 100 points. Turner parts .298/.343/.466 (.809 OPS) in operation.

AL WINNER: Jose Ramirez, Guardians (4th win)

Ramirez has collected 29 wrecks and 20 stolen bases this season, making him the third baseman to convert in a 20-20 season. In fact, he’s the third primary man to accomplish the feat in the past seven seasons – and he’s done so four times during that time (2018, 19, 21 and 22). Ramirez also led all AL players, regardless of their position, with 44 doubles.

NL Winner: Nolan Arenado, Cardinals (5th win)

Arenado, who also reached the NL MVP Award Finals, finished the season with 30 homers, 103 RBIs, and 42 doubles. His slowdown of 0.533 was the best by any player in his position, while his 103 RBIs beat every third base player in the NL.

Aaron Judge, Yankees (3rd win)

It is not surprising here, as the judge – who is the finalist MVP and Hank Aaron Award Winner IN AL – Set an AL record by hitting 62 home runs this season. The judge not only topped the main points in the competitions but also caught all players in the rounds (133), RBIs (131), base percentage (.425), slack percentage (.686), OPS (1.111), and OPS + (211) and the sum of the rules (391).

Julio Rodriguez, Mariners (first win)

Rodriguez, a finalist for the AL Rookie of the Year, earned a .284 with 28 home runs, 25 base steals and 147 OPS+ while leading the Mariners to their first post-season appearance since 2001. The 21-year-old has just become The third starter with at least 25 hits and 25 heists — and the first since Mike Trout in 2012.

Mike Trout, Angels (ninth win)

Despite limited injuries in just 119 games, Trout has managed to score 40 points at home this season. This ranked second (albeit a distant second) after Judge in AL, and was at a 54-homer pace over 162 games. Trout also scored a .999 OPS and .630 lag, which ranked second in the AL behind Judge among players who appeared on at least 450 plates.

Mocky Bates, Dodgers (5th win)

Betts is adding another Silver Slugger to his collection after already receiving a Gold Glove earlier this month. The Dodgers player has won five Silver Players and six Gold Gloves over the past seven seasons. As for this year, Bates hit a career high of 35, while also scoring 40 doubles, stealing 12 bases and scoring 117 National League-leading points.

Kyle Schwarber, Phyllis (first win)

Schwarber had 46 leading NL home races in his impressive debut season in Philadelphia — but he contributed more than just strength. Schwarber also had 10 base steals in his career (six more than any other season) and scored career best running (100) and RBIs (94). Added 21 doubles and three triples well.

Juan Soto, Nationals / Padres (3rd win)

Although Soto struggled a bit for Padres after his mid-season trade from the national team, he still led the Majors in walking (135) for the second consecutive season. That played a big role in its ridiculous .401 ratio on the base. Soto also finished with 27 home runs, 25 doubles and 853 OPS between Nats and Padres combined.

First Winner: Alejandro Kirk, Blue Jays (first win)

Kirk led all of the hitters in the batting average (.285) and base percentage (.372), while pulling 63 walks and hitting just 58 times. He was one of only six qualified hitters—along with Soto, Alex Bregman, Louis Ariz, Stephen Kwan and Yandy Diaz—with more walking than hitting.

NL Winner: JT Realmuto, Phillies (3rd win)

Realmuto finished with 22 home runs and 21 stolen bases, becoming the second player in AL/NL history by the 20-20 season (Ivan Rodriguez, 1999). Realmuto has been caught stealing only once in 22 attempts this season, while Rodriguez has been 25-for-37 in his historic campaign. Overall, Realmuto has cut 0.276/.342/.478 (.820 OPS) this season as well in 26 doubles, 84 RBIs and 75 points.

First Winner: Jordan Alvarez, Astros (first win)

Alvarez, a finalist for the AL MVP Award, was ranked second in the major magazines in idle percentage (0.613) and OPS (1.019), trailing only the judge. Alvarez also ranked third in base percentage (.406) and seventh in batting average (.306), all while notching 37 home runs and 97 RBI.

NL Winner: Josh Bell, Nationals/Padres (first win)

Bale cut .301/.384/.493 (.877 OPS) over the course of 103 games with the Nationals before calming down after his trade with the Padres. Although he cut just 0.192/.316/.271 (.587 OPS) in 53 games with San Diego, Bale still finished the season with 17 home runs, 71 RBI and 0.422 slowdown overall.

First Winner: Luis Araz, Twins (first win)

Besides winning his first career Silver Slugger of the season, Arraez also earned his first All-Star pick and took the AL batting title with a .316 for the Twins. Overall, he cut .316/.375/.420 (.795 OPS) and spent time on first base, second base and third base, while also making 38 appearances as a designated hitter and 13 again as a pinch hitter.

NL Winner: Brandon Drury, Reds / Padres (first win)

Drury has made 28 home appearances in over 138 matches between the Reds and Padres this season. He cut .263/.320/.492 (.813 OPS) with 87 RBIs, scoring 87 points and 31 doubles, all while making appearances in first base, second base, third base, short and right field. Drury has also served as DH 26 times, hit with a pinch five times and even ran once.