Silver Slugger Award (American League)

A silver bat? Few players will ever become members of the Triple Crown Club, but they might hit better than any other player in their respective league at their respective position. At the completion of the 1980 season Hillerich & Bradsby, the maker of Louisville Slugger bats, devised an award to honor the best offensive player at each position. Major League managers and coaches use the three fields of the Triple Crown - batting average, home runs and runs batted in - and a combination of total bases when voting for each years recipients.

Each winner of a Silver Slugger Award receives a full size Louisville Slugger bat engraved with the year, batting totals, their name, their position and of course — it's silver in color. Baseball Almanac is pleased to present a comprehensive breakdown of American League Silver Slugger Award winners.

"You are challenged by the game of baseball to do your very best day in and day out." - Silver Slugger Recipient (eight times over) Cal Ripken, Jr.
Silver Slugger Award

American League

A.L. Winners / N.L. Winners

Year Name(s) Position Team(s)
1980

Cecil Cooper
Willie Randolph
George Brett
Robin Yount
Ben Oglivie
Al Oliver
Willie Wilson
Lance Parrish
Reggie Jackson

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Milwaukee
New York
Kansas City
Milwaukee
Milwaukee
Texas
Kansas City
Detroit
New York

1981

Cecil Cooper
Bobby Grich
Carney Lansford
Rick Burleson
Rickey Henderson
Dwight Evans
Dave Winfield
Carlton Fisk
Al Oliver

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Milwaukee
California
Boston
California
Oakland
Boston
New York
Chicago
Texas

1982

Cecil Cooper
Damaso Garcia
Doug DeCinces
Robin Yount
Dave Winfield
Willie Wilson
Reggie Jackson
Lance Parrish
Hal McRae

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Milwaukee
Toronto
California
Milwaukee
New York
Kansas City
California
Detroit
Kansas City

1983

Eddie Murray
Lou Whitaker
Wade Boggs
Cal Ripken, Jr.
Jim Rice
Dave Winfield
Lloyd Moseby
Lance Parrish
Don Baylor

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Baltimore
Detroit
Boston
Baltimore
Boston
New York
Toronto
Detroit
New York

1984

Eddie Murray
Lou Whitaker
Buddy Bell
Cal Ripken, Jr.
Tony Armas
Dave Winfield
Jim Rice
Lance Parrish
Andy Thornton

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Baltimore
Detroit
Texas
Baltimore
Boston
New York
Boston
Detroit
Cleveland

1985

Don Mattingly
Lou Whitaker
George Brett
Cal Ripken, Jr.
Rickey Henderson
Dave Winfield
George Bell
Carlton Fisk
Don Baylor

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

New York
Detroit
Kansas City
Baltimore
New York
New York
Toronto
Chicago
New York

1986

Don Mattingly
Frank White
Wade Boggs
Cal Ripken, Jr.
George Bell
Kirby Puckett
Jesse Barfield
Lance Parrish
Don Baylor

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

New York
Kansas City
Boston
Baltimore
Toronto
Minnesota
Toronto
Detroit
Boston

1987

Don Mattingly
Lou Whitaker
Wade Boggs
Alan Trammell
George Bell
Dwight Evans
Kirby Puckett
Matt Nokes
Paul Molitor

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

New York
Detroit
Boston
Detroit
Toronto
Boston
Minnesota
Detroit
Milwaukee

1988

George Brett
Julio Franco
Wade Boggs
Alan Trammell
Kirby Puckett
Jose Canseco
Mike Greenwell
Carlton Fisk
Paul Molitor

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Kansas City
Cleveland
Boston
Detroit
Minnesota
Oakland
Boston
Chicago
Milwaukee

1989

Fred McGriff
Julio Franco
Wade Boggs
Cal Ripken, Jr.
Kirby Puckett
Ruben Sierra
Robin Yount
Mickey Tettleton
Harold Baines

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Toronto
Texas
Boston
Baltimore
Minnesota
Texas
Milwaukee
Baltimore
Chicago

1990

Cecil Fielder
Julio Franco
Kelly Gruber
Alan Trammell
Rickey Henderson
Jose Canseco
Ellis Burks
Lance Parrish
Dave Parker

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Detroit
Texas
Toronto
Detroit
Oakland
Oakland
Boston
California
Milwaukee

1991

Cecil Fielder
Julio Franco
Wade Boggs
Cal Ripken, Jr.
Jose Canseco
Joe Carter
Ken Griffey, Jr.
Mickey Tettleton
Frank Thomas

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Detroit
Texas
Boston
Baltimore
Oakland
Toronto
Seattle
Detroit
Chicago

1992

Mark McGwire
Roberto Alomar
Edgar Martinez
Travis Fryman
Joe Carter
Juan Gonzalez
Kirby Puckett
Mickey Tettleton
Dave Winfield

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Oakland
Toronto
Seattle
Detroit
Toronto
Texas
Minnesota
Detroit
Toronto

1993

Frank Thomas
Carlos Baerga
Wade Boggs
Cal Ripken, Jr.
Albert Belle
Juan Gonzalez
Ken Griffey, Jr.
Mike Stanley
Paul Molitor

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Chicago
Cleveland
New York
Baltimore
Cleveland
Texas
Seattle
New York
Toronto

1994

Frank Thomas
Carlos Baerga
Wade Boggs
Cal Ripken, Jr.
Albert Belle
Ken Griffey, Jr.
Kirby Puckett
Ivan Rodriguez
Julio Franco

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Chicago
Cleveland
New York
Baltimore
Cleveland
Seattle
Minnesota
Texas
Chicago

1995

Mo Vaughn
Chuck Knoblauch
Gary Gaetti
John Valentin
Albert Belle
Tim Salmon
Manny Ramirez
Ivan Rodriguez
Edgar Martinez

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Boston
Minnesota
Kansas City
Boston
Cleveland
California
Cleveland
Texas
Seattle

1996

Mark McGwire
Roberto Alomar
Jim Thome
Alex Rodriguez
Ken Griffey, Jr.
Albert Belle
Juan Gonzalez
Ivan Rodriguez
Paul Molitor

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Oakland
Baltimore
Cleveland
Seattle
Seattle
Cleveland
Texas
Texas
Minnesota

1997

Tino Martinez
Chuck Knoblauch
Matt Williams
Nomar Garciaparra
Ken Griffey, Jr.
David Justice
Juan Gonzalez
Ivan Rodriguez
Edgar Martinez

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

New York
Minnesota
Cleveland
Boston
Seattle
Cleveland
Texas
Texas
Seattle

1998

Rafael Palmeiro
Damion Easley
Dean Palmer
Alex Rodriguez
Ken Griffey, Jr.
Albert Belle
Juan Gonzalez
Ivan Rodriguez
Jose Canseco

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Baltimore
Detroit
Kansas City
Seattle
Seattle
Chicago
Texas
Texas
Toronto

1999

Carlos Delgado
Roberto Alomar
Dean Palmer
Alex Rodriguez
Ken Griffey, Jr.
Manny Ramirez
Shawn Green
Ivan Rodriguez
Rafael Palmeiro

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Toronto
Cleveland
Detroit
Seattle
Seattle
Cleveland
Toronto
Texas
Texas

2000

Carlos Delgado
Roberto Alomar
Troy Glaus
Alex Rodriguez
Darin Erstad
Manny Ramirez
Magglio Ordonez
Jorge Posada
Frank Thomas

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Toronto
Cleveland
Anaheim
Seattle
Anaheim
Cleveland
Chicago
New York
Chicago

2001

Jason Giambi
Bret Boone
Troy Glaus
Alex Rodriguez
Juan Gonzalez
Manny Ramirez
Ichiro Suzuki
Jorge Posada
Edgar Martinez

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Oakland
Seattle
Anaheim
Texas
Cleveland
Boston
Seattle
New York
Seattle

2002

Jason Giambi
Alfonso Soriano
Eric Chavez
Alex Rodriguez
Garret Anderson
Magglio Ordonez
Bernie Williams
Jorge Posada
Manny Ramirez

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

New York
New York
Oakland
Texas
Anaheim
Chicago
New York
New York
Boston

2003

Carlos Delgado
Bret Boone
Bill Mueller
Alex Rodriguez
Vernon Wells
Garret Anderson
Manny Ramirez
Jorge Posada
Edgar Martinez

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Toronto
Seattle
Boston
Texas
Toronto
Anaheim
Boston
New York
Seattle

2004

Mark Teixeira
Alfonso Soriano
Miguel Tejada
Melvin Mora
Manny Ramirez
Gary Sheffield
Vladimir Guerrero
Victor Martinez
Ivan Rodriguez
David Ortiz

1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C (Tie)
C (Tie)
DH

Texas
Texas
Baltimore
Baltimore
Boston
New York
Anaheim
Cleveland
Detroit
Boston

2005

Mark Teixeira
Alfonso Soriano
Alex Rodriguez
Miguel Tejada
Vladimir Guerrero
Manny Ramirez
Gary Sheffield
Jason Varitek
David Ortiz

 1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Texas
Texas
New York
Baltimore
Los Angeles
Boston
New York
Boston
Boston

2006

Justin Morneau
Robinson Cano
Joe Crede
Derek Jeter
Jermaine Dye
Vladimir Guerrero
Manny Ramirez
Joe Mauer
David Ortiz

 1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Minnesota
New York
Chicago
New York
Chicago
Los Angeles
Boston
Minnesota
Boston

2007

Carlos Pena
Placido Polanco
Alex Rodriguez
Derek Jeter
Magglio Ordonez
Vladimir Guerrero
Ichiro Suzuki
Jorge Posada
David Ortiz

 1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Tampa Bay
Detroit
New York
New York
Detroit
Los Angeles
Seattle
New York
Boston

2008

Justin Morneau
Dustin Pedroia
Alex Rodriguez
Derek Jeter
Josh Hamilton
Grady Sizemore
Carlos Quentin
Joe Mauer
Aubrey Huff

 1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

Minnesota
Boston
New York
New York
Texas
Cleveland
Chicago
Minnesota
Baltimore

2009

Not Yet Announced (10-2009)

 1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
OF
OF
C
DH

--
Year Name(s) Position Team(s)

Silver Slugger Award



Did you know that during 1996 every American League recipient of a Silver Slugger Award had a batting average of .300 or better?

The Hank Aaron Award is quite similar to the Silver Slugger Award and goes to the player in each league who leads in hits, home runs and runs batted in.

Silver Slugger Award

Sammy Sosa's 2002 Silver Slugger Award

An actual Silver Slugger Award / bat belonging to a former Major League player sold during an auction in 2001 for over $13,000.
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