Major League Baseball, on Wednesday morning, announced the winners of Silver Slugger Awards, given to the top hitter in each league at their respective position.
Winning the award from the Kansas City Royals were shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and catcher Salvador Perez.
Witt Jr. continued his remarkable rise up baseball’s hierarchy in 2024, with an American League-best .332 batting average, giving the Royals their first batting champion since George Brett in 1990. With 32 home runs and 31 stolen bases, Witt Jr. became the first shortstop in MLB history with multiple 30-30 seasons, while becoming the first player to go 30-0 while adding at least 40 doubles and 10 triples in a single campaign.
Perez, a 13-year veteran and captain of the Royals, smashed 27 home runs from the catcher position in 2024, leading AL backstops with 104 RBI’s and an OPS of .786. With five Silver Slugger Awards, Perez extended his mark of most such awards in the history of the Royals franchise, going back to 1969.
“Salvy” trails only Mike Piazza (10), Ivan Rodriguez (seven), Brian McCann (six) and Lance Parrish (six) for the most at catcher in the history of the Silver Slugger Award.
Other Silver Slugger Award winners were:
American League:
Salvador Perez (Kansas City) – C
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Toronto) – 1B
Jose Altuve (Houston) – 2B
Bobby Witt Jr. (Kansas City) – SS
Jose Ramirez (Cleveland) – 3B
Aaron Judge (New York) – OF
Juan Soto (New York) – OF
Anthony Santander (Baltimore) – OF
Brent Rooker (Oakland) – DH
Josh Smith (Texas) – Utility
New York Yankees (Best Offensive Team)
National League:
William Contreras (Milwaukee) – C
Bryce Harper (Philadelphia) – 1B
Ketel Marte (Arizona) – 2B
Manny Machado (San Diego) – 3B
Francisco Lindor (New York) – SS
Jackson Merrill (San Diego) – OF
Teoscar Hernandez (Los Angeles) – OF
Jerickson Profar (San Diego) – OF
Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles) – DH
Mookie Betts (Los Angeles) – Utility
Los Angeles Dodgers (Best Offensive Team)
