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Silver Slugger Award: Winners and Snubs

By Daniel R. Epstein

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 10: Some of the Los Angeles Dodgers Louisville Silver Slugger Awards are displayed inside Dodger Stadium before game two of the National League Division Series on October 10, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 10: Some of the Los Angeles Dodgers Louisville Silver Slugger Awards are displayed inside Dodger Stadium before game two of the National League Division Series on October 10, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /
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PHOENIX, AZ – JULY 09: Joey Votto (left) and Paul Goldschmidt (right)
PHOENIX, AZ – JULY 09: Joey Votto (left) and Paul Goldschmidt (right) /

First Base

Silver Slugger Award: Eric Hosmer, Kansas City Royals and Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks

Who deserved to win? Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox and Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds

Hosmer versus Abreu is as close competition as there can be. Abreu has a razor-thin edge in wRC+ (138 to 135) and wOBA (.377 to .376). Despite this, they got there in different ways. Hosmer made more contact and reached base more often, slashing .318/.385/.498.

Abreu rarely walked but featured more extra-base power, posting a .305/.354/.552 slash line. Honestly, this is a pick ’em, but Abreu has a slight advantage in more categories.

Goldschmidt and Votto are both NL MVP finalists, so Votto may yet laugh last (or maybe Giancarlo Stanton will). That’s a debate for another day, but Votto bettered Goldschmidt with the bat alone.

His wRC+ was substantially better (165 to 142), and all the slash line stats were higher (.320/.454/.578 to .297/.404/.563). Votto led the NL in BB, OBP, and OPS. The only area in which Goldschmidt was better was SB (18 to 5). Does base running matter for Silver Slugger awards? Apparently so.

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