What is a Silver Slugger Award in MLB? All about one of baseball's biggest honors

On November 9, MLB announced the 2023 Silver Slugger Award winners. While the distinction is one of the league's most important awards, it is also one of the most widely distributed honors in the game.

After the end of each season, MLB managers and coaches vote on the award. Silver Sluggers are given to the top offensive player at each position in both leagues. For the first time in 2023, a team award was also handed out in both the NL and AL.

First bestowed in 1980, managers and coaches are supposed to take home runs, average, on-base percentage, as well as all other offensive indicators into mind when voting. The three-foot baseball bat trophy is given by Hillerich & Bradsby's, the manufacturer of the famed Louisville Slugger bats.

"The 2023 NL Silver Sluggers" - Talkin' Baseball

Unsurprisingly, three members of the Atlanta Braves won the honor this season, more than any other team. Moreover, the Braves also won the first-ever team Silver Slugger Award, owing to the fact that they posted the best team slugging percentage in history, and finished tied with the 2019 Twins for the most homers in a season.

2023 saw sixteen teams emerge with at least one winner, representing just over half of MLB's 30 teams. Seven of the twenty awardees were first-time winners, while one rookie, Gunnar Henderson, carried his first honor. After hitting .255/.325/.489 with 28 home runs and 82 RBIs, the young Baltimore Orioles infielder is expected to also win the 2023 AL Rookie of the Year Award.

"Gunnar Henderson joins some elite company. Here's every hitter who has won a Silver Slugger Award as a rookie:" - MLB Pipeline

Despite missing the final month of the season, Shohei Ohtani was awarded his second Slugger. The 29-year old sensation finished with 44 home runs and 184 OPS+ led all of MLB in the respective categories.

Silver Slugger Award may not be exclusive, but it is no less important

By the end of the regular season, most fans and players know which names will be in contention for a Silver Slugger. That said, the fact that it is chosen exclusively by managers speaks volumes about the selection process. These names are chosen by men who know baseball practically better than anyone else. Expect to see several 2023 Silver Sluggers be back in the running for the prestigious honor at the end of the 2024 season.