Wilyer Abreu has already stacked up hardware in Boston, and another trophy is likely headed his way this fall. The Red Sox right fielder led MLB with 28 defensive runs saved, putting him in line for a third straight Gold Glove. But there’s another award in play now, too: a Silver Slugger.
Abreu turned in the best offensive season of his career, and that gives him a real shot at his first award for his bat. FanSided has partnered with Louisville Slugger to announce this year’s winners, and Boston could have more than one finalist in the mix.
The Silver Slugger setup helps his case, because there isn’t a separate award for each outfield spot in either league. Three outfielders are chosen in each league, no matter where they play.
That mattered a lot in past years with Aaron Judge blocking the path in right field. This season, though, the New York Yankees captain is out of the picture.
Judge, a five-time Silver Slugger winner, missed more than three months with two different injuries and played only 66 games, which leaves him short of the qualifying mark. That opens the door for MLB managers and coaches, who make the vote, to give Abreu more attention.
And Abreu has the résumé to get into that conversation. He hit .248/.327/.446 with 38 doubles, four triples and 24 home runs in a career-high 157 games. His 24 homers were second on the Red Sox, behind Willson Contreras’s 27, and his doubles total was second in all of MLB, trailing only Bryan Reynolds of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who had 40.
Even with Judge unavailable, the field is crowded. Randy Arozarena, who is headed for free agency, led all American League outfielders with a .865 OPS and finished two home runs ahead of Abreu.
He also posted an AL-best 151 wRC+, which was 15 points better than Riley Greene in second place. Greene, who won his first Silver Slugger last year, was second in OPS at .844.
Jac Caglianone, Dominic Canzone, Chase DeLauter and Kody Clemens also put together strong cases.
Still, Abreu’s path is clearer than it has been before. With Judge no longer in the mix, one of the three outfield spots is not spoken for, and Abreu’s power numbers and doubles production give him a strong chance to land his first offensive award.
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