Kim Ha-seong (28, San Diego Padres), who made history as the first Asian infielder to win the Silver Slugger award, was denied another first.
MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, announced the winners of the 2023 Major League Baseball (ML) Silver Slugger Awards on Tuesday (June 10).
Cody Bellinger, 28, of the Los Angeles Dodgers, was honored in the National League Utility category. Bellinger signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs this year after being non-tendered by the Dodgers last year. In 130 games, Bellinger batted .307 with 26 home runs, 97 RBIs, 95 runs scored, 20 doubles, a .356 on-base percentage, a .525 slugging percentage, and a .881 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage), his best numbers since his MVP season in 2019. This is the second time he has won the award since 2019.
Established in 1980, the Silver Slugger is awarded to the player with the most outstanding batting performance. Being a finalist for this award means that you definitely stood out in terms of offense at your position that year.
Kim hit .260 with 17 home runs, 60 RBIs, 84 runs scored, 38 doubles, a .351 on-base percentage, a .398 slugging percentage, and a .749 OPS in 152 games this year, earning him a spot among the four finalists in the National League utility category alongside Mookie Betts (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Spencer Steer (Cincinnati Reds).
Had he won, he would have made history as the first Asian major league infielder to win both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. Kim became the first Asian infielder to win the Gold Glove for Utility on June 6, making him the new hope for Asian infielders.
Previously, only Japan’s Ichiro Suzuki had won both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards for offense and defense. Ichiro made his debut with the Seattle Mariners in 2001, winning the outfield Gold Glove for 10 consecutive years and the Silver Slugger three times (2001, 2007, and 2009). Even Shohei Ohtani, 29, who won his second Silver Slugger as a designated hitter, didn’t win a Gold Glove. 토토사이트
But the competition was too strong. In addition to winner Bellinger, Betts had an MVP-caliber season, batting .307 with 39 home runs, 107 RBIs, 126 runs scored, 14 doubles, a .307 on-base percentage, a .408 slugging percentage and a .987 OPS in 152 games. Even Steer, the least deserving of the names, was better than Kim with a .271 batting average, 23 home runs, 86 RBI, 74 runs scored, 15 doubles, a .356 slugging percentage, a .464 OPS, and a .820 OPS in 156 games.