Front Page: Mitch Garver, Nelson Cruz Win 2019 Silver Slugger Award

[Seth Stohs]

On Thursday, MLB and Louisville Slugger announced the 2019 Silver Slugger Awards. Minnesota Twins catcher Mitch Garver and DH Nelson Cruz represent the #BombaSquad by winning Silver Sluggers It was Garver's first and Cruz's third Silver Slugger.For the first time since 2008, the Minnesota Twins have two Silver Slugger Award winners.

 

 

Mitch Garver won the Silver Slugger after a season in which he hit .273/.365/.630 (.995) with 16 doubles and 31 home runs. Garver becomes the first Twins catcher to win a Silver Slugger since Joe Mauer won his fifth in 2013. That was the most recent Twins Silver Slugger win.

 

The numbers are impressive, but consider that he spent about three weeks on the Injured List with an ankle injury and he was splitting time behind the plate with Jason Castro. Garver made 73 starts behind the plate and had just three starts as the team's DH.

 

Gary Sanchez of the Yankees hit .232/.316/.525 (.841) with 12 doubles and 34 home runs this season. He and Red Sox backstop Christian Vasquez were the other finalists.

 

Nelson Cruz came to the Twins and mashed all year! The 39-year-old played in 120 games and hit a remarkable .311/.392/.639 (1.031) with 26 doubles and 41 home runs.

 

The competition at DH came from Red Sox JD Martinez and the Royals Jorge Soler.

 

 

Twins left fielder Eddie Rosario was one of six finalists in the American league outfield. The winners were the Astros George Springer, Red Sox Mookie Betts and the Angels Mike Trout.

 

Former Twins infielder Eduardo Escobar was a finalist for the National League Silver Slugger at third base. Anthony Rendon was the winner.

 

 

2019 American League Silver Slugger Winners

 

1B: Carlos Santana

2B: DJ LeMahieu

3B: Alex Bregman

SS: Xander Bogaerts

OF: Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, George Springer

C: MITCH GARVER

DH: NELSON CRUZ

 

 

Who votes for the Silver Slugger Awards? Per the league's 2018 announcement.

The Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award winners are decided by a vote of Major League Baseball managers and coaches who select the players they determine to be the best offensive producers at each position in the American and National Leagues. Selections are based on a combination of offensive statistics, including batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, as well as the managers' and coaches' general impressions of a player's overall offensive value. Tabulation of the balloting is verified by the accounting firm of Mountjoy Chilton Medley LLP.

 

Related Content:

 

Twins Daily Most Improved Player 2019

College Coach Not Surprised by Mitch Garver's 2019 Success

Mitch Garver's Other Big Improvement

Nelson Cruz and His Unlikely Quest for 400 Home Runs

Nelson Cruz Defying Father Time

 

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[VivaBomboRivera!]

Let's treasure every opportunity we get to watch both these men contribute to our pastime.

[Diesel]

Well deserved for Cruz and Garver! I suspect Polanco and Kepler were also in the running! I already can’t wait for 2020!

[Seth Stohs]

 

Well deserved for Cruz and Garver! I suspect Polanco and Kepler were also in the running! I already can’t wait for 2020!

 

As mentioned in the article, Eddie Rosario was the only other Twins player to have been a finalist at his position.

 

I would venture to say that had Kepler not missed the final month of the season, he would have received very strong consideration. Polanco's two-month slump likely put him out of the top three, but he's got a chance to be a perennial contender going forward. 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Congratulations to both of our Twins' Silver Sluggers. Well deserved honors.

[DocBauer]

Much deserved for both guys! A little surprised they got it right with Garver.

[theBOMisthebomb]

Garver was a pleasant surprise. He put up video game numbers and deserved it. Cruz just cruised to the award all season long.

[Melissa]

I wonder wether Rocco and the front office will give Garver a meaningfully larger number of starts in 2020. I know that having him start less than 50% of the games this past season has been credited with keeping him fresh (and Castro, too), but why not increase his starts behind the plate closer to 60%? The calculator on my phone says that would mean 97 games.

 

Too many? Might depend on whatever backup is in play. I certainly wouldn't to give La Tortuga 60+ starts at catcher.