The Los Angeles Dodgers are among the finalists in the National League for the first-ever Team Silver Slugger Award, joining the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres.
American League finalists for the 2023 Team Silver Slugger Award are the Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays.
The Dodgers had one of the best offenses in all of baseball this season, led by 2023 All-Stars Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, J.D. Martinez and Will Smith, as well as Max Muncy, Jason Heyward, James Outman and others.
The Dodgers ranked second among NL teams with 34.4 offensive wins above replacement (WAR), behind only the Braves’ 39.7.
L.A. also placed second in home runs (249), runs scored (906), RBI (877), walk percentage (10.2%), ISO (.197), on-base percentage (.340), slugging percentage (.455), wOBA (.341), wRC+ (116); and third in batting average (.257).
This is the second consecutive year Louisville Slugger has expanded Silver Slugger Awards. In 2022, utility player awards were added to honor the top hitters who play multiple positions.
“Every year, there are a handful of teams in each league that are capable of hanging crooked numbers on a near-nightly basis and with the introduction of the Silver Slugger Team Award, these clubs will get their due alongside the standout individual offensive performers in the game,” Louisville Slugger marketing manager Jake Misener said in a statement.
“Being able to involve MLB fans across the country and giving them a voice just adds another layer of excitement to the continuing legacy of the Silver Slugger Award.”
Silver Slugger Team Award winners in the NL and AL will be revealed on MLB Network on November 9, along with the individual player awards.
5 Dodgers named 2023 Silver Slugger Award finalists
The Dodgers had Betts, Freeman, Martinez, Muncy and Smith named among the 2023 Silver Slugger Award finalists in the NL. Freeman, Betts and Smith were up for the offensive honor last year as well, while Muncy and Smith were among the team’s finalists in 2021.
This season, Betts is a Silver Slugger finalist both in the outfield and for the utility position.
Winners are determined by MLB managers and coaches who vote for players at each position in their respective leagues; each team receives four votes, one for manager and three coaches of their choice.
Silver Slugger voting is based on combination of offensive statistics, such as batting average, on-base plus slugging percentage, runs scored, home runs, RBI, total bases, RBI, OPS+, along with the managers’ and coaches’ general impressions of a player’s overall value at the plate.
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