J.D. Martinez, Christian Yelich among 2018 Silver Slugger Award winners

By Nov 8, 2018, 7:05 PM EST
Mike Stobe/Getty Images
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Awards season continues with the 2018 Silver Slugger Awards handed out on Thursday evening. Here are your winners:

American League

  • C: Salvador Pérez, Royals (second)
  • 1B: José Abreu, White Sox (second)
  • 2B: José Altuve, Astros (fifth)
  • 3B: José Ramírez, Indians (second)
  • SS: Francisco Lindor, Indians (second)
  • OF: Mookie Betts, Red Sox (second)
  • OF: Mike Trout, Angels (sixth)
  • OF: J.D. Martinez, Red Sox (second)
  • DH: J.D. Martinez, Red Sox (third)

It was almost a clean sweep for Josés across the AL infield. One can certainly make an argument for Xander Bogaerts over Lindor at shortstop, but it’s splitting hairs. Bogaerts had a .373 weighted on-base average (wOBA) to Lindor’s .368. Lindor, however, led in many of the counting stats like home runs (38 to 23) and runs scored (129 to 72) while coming to the plate 165 more times. A similar hair-splitting case can be made for Alex Bregman over Ramírez at third base.

Martinez getting the award as both an outfielder and as a DH — becoming the first player to ever win the award twice in the same year — is interesting. It’s deserved, of course, as he had an absurdly productive season, batting .330/.402/.629 with 43 home runs and 130 RBI in 649 plate appearances. Martinez was far above his competition (excepting winners Trout and Betts) at both positions. Martinez, however, played 93 games at DH and 57 as an outfielder. Just give the award to him as a DH and give Aaron Judge the third outfield Silver Slugger. Alternatively, give Martinez the award as an outfielder and Khris Davis as the DH.

National League

Lots of first-time winners in the National League, including Markakis. I would have given the award to a handful of hitters over Markakis, whose .345 wOBA ranked 13th of 26 qualified outfielders. Brandon Nimmo, Bryce Harper, Charlie Blackmon, Rhys Hoskins, Lorenzo Cain, José Martínez, Ben Zobrist, Gregory Polanco, and Matt Kemp had a higher wOBA than Markakis, and Cody Bellinger tied him. That Markakis got a Silver Slugger is perplexing.

Really splitting hairs here, but Michael Lorenzen should’ve gotten the Silver Slugger for pitchers. Lorenzen hit, in 34 plate appearances, .290/.330/.710 with four homers and 10 RBI. Márquez hit .300/.300/.350 with a homer and five RBI in 65 PA.

Overall, though, the Silver Sluggers went to the most deserving players.

Olson blasts two HRs, Acuña has 4 hits as Strider, Braves overpower Phillies 11-4

Associated PressMay 29, 2023, 12:12 AM EDT
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
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ATLANTA – Given a seven-run lead in the first inning, Atlanta right-hander Spencer Strider could relax and keep adding to his majors-leading strikeout total.

“That game felt like it was over pretty quick,” Strider said.

Ronald Acuña Jr. drove in three runs with four hits, including a two-run single in Atlanta’s seven-run first inning, and the Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 11-4 on Sunday night to split the four-game series.

“Getting a lead first is big, especially when you get that big of a lead,” Strider said. “… When we’re putting up runs, my job isn’t to be perfect. My job is to get outs.”

Following the game, Braves manager Brian Snitker announced right-hander Michael Soroka will be recalled to make his first start since the 2020 season on Monday night at Oakland.

Matt Olson hit a pair of two-run homers for Atlanta, and Strider became the fastest pitcher in modern history to reach 100 strikeouts in a season.

“It’s incredible,” said Acuña through a translator of Strider. “Every time he goes out to pitch it seems like he’s going to strike everybody out.”

Acuña hit a run-scoring triple in the fifth before Olson’s second homer to center. Acuña had two singles in the first when the Braves sent 11 batters to the plate, collected seven hits and opened a 7-0 lead. Led by Acuña and Olson, who had three hits, the Braves set a season high with 20 hits.

Strider (5-2) struck out nine while pitching six innings of two-run ball. The right-hander fired a called third strike past Nick Castellanos for the first out of the fourth, giving him 100 strikeouts in 61 innings and topping Jacob deGrom‘s 61 2/3 innings in 2021 as the fastest to 100 in the modern era.

“It’s cool,” Strider said, adding “hopefully it’ll keep going.”

Olson followed Acuña’s leadoff single with a 464-foot homer to right-center. Austin Riley added another homer before Ozzie Albies and Acuña had two-run singles in the long first inning.

Phillies shortstop Trea Turner and left fielder Kyle Schwarber each committed an error on a grounder by Orlando Arcia, setting up two unearned runs in the inning.

Strider walked Kody Clemens to open the third. Brandon Marsh followed with a two-run homer for the Phillies’ first hit. Schwarber hit a two-run homer off Collin McHugh in the seventh.

LEAPING CATCH

Michael Harris II celebrated the one-year anniversary of his major league debut by robbing Schwarber of a homer with a leaping catch at the center-field wall in the second. As Harris shook his head to say “No!” after coming down with the ball on the warning track, Strider pumped his fist in approval on the mound – after realizing Harris had the ball.

“He put me through an emotional roller coaster for a moment,” Strider said.

SOROKA RETURNING TO ROTATION

Soroka was scratched from his scheduled start at Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday, setting the stage for his final step in his comeback from two torn Achilles tendons.

“To get back is really a feather in that kid’s cap,” Snitker said.

Soroka will be making his first start in the majors since Aug. 3, 2020, against the New York Mets when he suffered a torn right Achilles tendon. Following a setback which required a follow-up surgery, he suffered another tear of the same Achilles tendon midway through the 2021 season.

Soroka suffered another complication in his comeback when a hamstring injury slowed his progress this spring.

Acuña said he was “super happy, super excited for him, super proud of him” and added “I’m just hoping for continued good health.”

Soroka looked like an emerging ace when he finished 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA in 2019 and placed second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting and sixth in the NL Cy Young voting.

The Braves are 0-3 in bullpen committee games as they attempt to overcome losing two key starters, Max Fried (strained left forearm) and Kyle Wright (right shoulder inflammation) to the injured list in early May. Each is expected to miss at least two months.

RHP Dereck Rodriguez, who gave up one hit in two scoreless innings, was optioned to Gwinnett after the game to clear a roster spot for Soroka.

QUICK EXIT

Phillies right-hander Dylan Covey (0-1), claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 20, didn’t make it through the first inning. Covey allowed seven runs, five earned, and six hits, including the homers by Olson and Riley.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: 3B Alex Bohm was held out with hamstring tightness. … LHP José Alvarado (left elbow inflammation) threw the bullpen session originally scheduled for Saturday. Manager Rob Thomson said there was no report that Alvarado, who was placed on the injured list on May 10, had any difficulty.

UP NEXT

Phillies: Following an off day, LHP Ranger Suárez (0-1, 9.82 ERA) is scheduled to face Mets RHP Kodai Senga (4-3, 3.94 ERA) in Tuesday night’s opener of a three-game series in New York.

Braves: Soroka was 1-2 with a 4.33 ERA in eight games with Triple-A Gwinnett. He allowed a combined four hits and two runs over 10 2/3 innings in his last two starts. RHP Paul Blackburn (7-6, 4.28 ERA in 2022) is scheduled to make his 2023 debut for Oakland as he returns from a finger injury.