Designated Hitter and Pitcher
Silver Slugger Award: Nelson Cruz, Seattle Mariners, and Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals
Who deserved to win? Cruz and Tyler Glasnow, Pittsburgh Pirates
Cruz was a natural choice for the DH Silver Slugger. He crushed 39 HR and led the AL with 119 RBI. His .924 OPS handily beat Edwin Encarnacion‘s .889, who was his only real challenger. Also, Cruz was sufficiently scarce on defense, playing only five games in the outfield.
Glasnow was obscenely awful on the mound this year, allowing 61 runs in 62 IP. He didn’t spend much time in the majors. Consequently, he had only 23 PA, but somehow managed five singles, four walks, and an HBP, good for a .455 OBP! That’s crazy on its own merits, but now consider that he’s 6’8″ tall. With a strike zone that big, how does a pitcher earn a 17.4 BB%?!?
Ok, Wainwright had a full season with 50 PA, hitting .262 with a pair of homers. But honestly, is that as much fun as Glasnow walking as often as Matt Carpenter? If an award given to the best hitting pitcher can’t be fun, what’s the point in having one?
Next: Gold Glove award winners and snubs
Wasn’t that fun reliving some of the 2017 mashers in MLB? Did your favorite player and team get some love? If so, don’t worry, there is always next season for your favorite player to win the Silver Slugger Award.