2023 Silver Slugger winners announced

*Photo from Marca*

   After covering the best fielders, now the best hitters are being showcased. Major League Baseball announced the 2023 Silver Slugger winners at each position in both the AL and NL on Thursday night.

   The Atlanta Braves led the way with the most individual winners, with 3 players winning an award this year. Both the Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles had two winners. The team Silver Slugger award was added this year to honor the best overall offense in each league.

Catcher: Adley Rutschman (BAL), William Contreras (MIL)

In his second big league season, Rutschman takes home his first Silver Slugger award. He led AL catchers in runs scored, walks, on base percentage, wRC+, and RBI's. He's the second Orioles catcher to win a Silver Slugger.

Contreras becomes the first Brewers catcher to win a Silver Slugger. He led NL catchers in batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, wRC+, fWAR, and RBI's, while ranking second in home runs.

First base: Yandy Diaz (TBR), Matt Olson (ATL)

Diaz ended the season with the AL batting title thanks to a .330 average, and now gets a Silver Slugger. He posted career highs in nearly every offensive category this season and didn't hit worse than .300 in any month this season.

Olson led the majors convincingly in home runs with 54 and RBI's with 139 while also leading the NL in slugging percentage. He set Braves records in home runs and RBI's as well as he wins his first Silver Slugger.

Second base: Marcus Semien (TEX), Luis Arraez (MIA)

Hitting at the top of the Rangers order, Semien led the AL in hits and runs scored while becoming the 5th leadoff hitter to have a 100 RBI season. He wins his second Silver Slugger in 3 years and is the 3rd Rangers second basemen to win a Silver Slugger.

Arraez won the NL batting title after flirting with a .400 average season for the first half of the year. He reached 200 hits in a season for the first time and became the second player to win a batting title in both the AL and NL.

Third base: Rafael Devers (BOS), Austin Riley (ATL)

Devers takes home his second Silver Slugger in 3 years. He joins Wade Boggs as the only Red Sox third basemen to win a Silver Slugger multiple times. It was well-earned, with Devers leading AL third basemen in home runs, RBI's, and slugging percentage.

Riley was the only NL third basemen with a slugging percentage above .500 in 2023 as he wins his second Silver Slugger, joining Chipper Jones as the only Braves third basemen to win the award twice.

Shortstop: Corey Seager (TEX), Francisco Lindor (NYM)

Being limited to 119 games due to injury didn't slow down Seager. He was in the top 4 in the AL in batting average, slugging percentage, and on base percentage, finished second in extra base hits, and led the AL in doubles. He is only the second shortstop to win a Silver Slugger in both leagues.

Lindor, who won alongside Seager, is the other shortstop to win a Silver Slugger in both leagues. He scored over 100 runs and had the 6th 30 homer, 30 steal season by a shortstop. Him and Seager are two of 10 shortstops to win a Silver Slugger multiple times.

Outfield: Luis Robert Jr (CHW), Julio Rodriguez (SEA), Kyle Tucker (HOU), Ronald Acuna Jr (ATL), Mookie Betts (LAD), Juan Soto (SDP)

Robert played more than 100 games this season and finished 3rd in the AL in home runs and 5th in slugging percentage. Rodriguez scored 100 runs for the first time and had a 30-30 season and wins his second Silver Slugger in as many years. Tucker led AL outfielders in OPS and finished one stolen base short of a 30-30 season.

Acuna wins his 3rd Silver Slugger after leading the NL in hits, runs, stolen bases, OPS+, on base percentage, and total bases, while recording baseball's first 40 homer, 70 steal season. Betts wins his 6th silver slugger, the 10th outfielder to do so. He ranked 3rd in the NL with 80 extra base hits and had his highest batting average and OPS since 2018, when he won AL MVP. Soto hit a career high 32 home runs and led the majors in walks for the 3rd straight year. He won his 4th straight Silver Slugger.

Designated hitter: Shohei Ohtani (LAA), Bryce Harper (PHI)

Despite missing most of September, Ohtani led the AL in home runs, on base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. He became the 6th player to win multiple Silver Sluggers as a DH.

Among primary DH's in the NL, Harper had the highest wRC+ and OBP while playing in 126 games. This is Harper's 3rd Silver Slugger and first as a DH.

Utility: Gunnar Henderson (BAL), Cody Bellinger (CHC)

A finalist for AL Rookie of the Year, Henderson is the 15th rookie to win a Silver Slugger across all positions. He scored 100 runs and had 66 extra base hits, also hitting the longest home run to land on Baltimore's Eutaw Street in a game in Camden Yards' history.

Bellinger posted his best offensive numbers since he won NL MVP in 2019. He swatted 26 home runs and had an OPS of just under .900 while trimming his strikeout rate by roughly 10 percent.

Team: Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves

The Rangers were the easy choice for the AL team award. They led AL teams in batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage, also finishing tied for first in the AL in home runs.

The Braves offense lit the baseball world on fire in 2023. They tied the single season home run record, became the first team to have a combined slugging percentage over .500, had 5 players hit the 30 home run mark, and scored 947 runs.