The Angels got two names into the Silver Slugger mix on Thursday, with Zach Neto and Mike Trout both landing finalist spots for their positions.
Neto is one of three shortstop finalists, while Trout is among nine outfield finalists. For Trout, a win would put him in rare company: he would become only the third player ever to collect 10 Silver Slugger Awards.
At shortstop, the competition is tight and comes with different offensive profiles for voters to weigh. Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who has won the last two Silver Slugger Awards at the position, is back in the field. Detroit Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle is the third finalist.
Witt posted the best batting average in the group at .281 and also led the finalists with a .441 slugging percentage. McGonigle, meanwhile, topped the field in on-base percentage (.376) and OPS (.806). Neto made his own case with 27 home runs and 102 runs scored, both best among the finalists.
There’s also speed in the conversation. Witt swiped 45 bases, second in the AL only to Chandler Simpson’s 46, but Neto’s 24 steals and McGonigle’s 12 kept them in the same conversation.
The vote is in the hands of MLB managers and coaches, who can’t cast ballots for players on their own teams. That leaves the outcome open to interpretation, depending on which style of offense carries the most weight.
McGonigle’s eligibility stretches beyond shortstop, too. He played third base in 94 games for Detroit, which makes him a finalist for the AL utility Silver Slugger as well. The source did not clarify how that race will be handled.
Trout’s case in the outfield is a little more complicated. Seattle’s Randy Arozarena led qualified AL outfielders with a .281/.381/.484 slash line and an .865 OPS, and the rest of the group is crowded behind him.
Trout still brings a strong resume. His .382 OBP was the best among AL outfielders in 2026, and his 22 home runs trailed only Arozarena’s 26, Abreu’s 24 and Caglianone’s 23. His .803 OPS ranked fourth among the finalists, dragged down by a .421 slugging percentage.
He also added 11 stolen bases, another number that could help his case. At the same time, voters may look at his 12 intentional walks and the way opposing pitchers worked around him in a relatively weak Angels lineup, which could cut the other way. Trout’s 107 walks were his most in a season since 2019.
Trout was also nominated for the American League Comeback Player of the Year Award by the MLB Players’ Association, though Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez won that honor. For Trout and the Angels, the fact that he was in the conversation for both awards after five injury-plagued seasons was an accomplishment on its own.
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