To the surprise of none, two Baltimore Orioles were given the Silver Slugger award. Catcher Adley Rutschman and utility player Gunnar Henderson were named Silver Slugger award winners earlier this evening.
Rutschman and Henderson are the 23rd and 24th players in team history to be named a Silver Slugger. It’s the first time they’ve won it, and fans around the league can expect many more. They both finished their first full seasons in the big leagues, although you wouldn’t know it by their production.
Adley hit .277 and had an OBP of .374, both top five on the team. Rutschman also had 20 home runs, 80 RBIs and 32 extra base hits. Rutschman became the first Oriole to conquer the left field wall as a left-handed batter against the Houston Astros in August. Adley’s known for being an extra-base hit machine and can make pitchers pay if they make a mistake.
Gunnar hit .255 with a team-leading 28 home runs and 82 RBIs. The rookie also had a very respectable .325 OBP. Henderson led the team in OPS (on base + slugging) and had many highlight reel home runs that brought fans out of their seats. His 462-foot blast onto Eutaw Street in June against the Royals was a moment no Orioles fan will forget.
Both were nominated for the All-MLB team yesterday evening, and no one will be shocked to see both on it. The scary thing is that they can only improve their games. The two young stars are hopeful for contract extensions in the offseason and look to help the O’s secure back-to-back division titles in 2024.
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