There wasn’t much to celebrate for the New York Mets in 2023. A season of struggles and inconsistency resulted in some changes, especially at manager. However, some individual accomplishments by Mets players have now resulted in them being rewarded. One of them is the Silver Slugger award, and the player for the Mets is shortstop Francisco Lindor . Lindor becomes the second Mets shortstop (Jose Reyes) in their history to win the award. It is the third time he is taking home the Silver Slugger in his career. Pete Alonso was also a finalist for the award but did not win. That went to Matt Olson of the Atlanta Braves.
Francisco Lindor Wins Third Career Silver Slugger
In Lindor’s third season with the Mets after a big trade to bring him to Queens, Lindor put up a banner year. Lindor’s second consecutive very good year after some early struggles in his first season. Not only was Lindor productive, but he also had a historic season. Lindor put on a 30/30/30 season with 31 home runs, 31 stolen bases, and 33 doubles. He became the fourth Met to record a 30/30 season, joining Daryl Strawberry, Howard Johnson, and Carlos Beltran. Lindor is also one of five shortstops to have a 30/30/30 season as he joins Barry Larkin, Alex Rodriguez, Jimmy Rollins, and Hanley Ramirez. Lindor continues shining bright for the Mets with his bat, defense, and leadership. This accolade further shows that he is still one of the best shortstops in baseball despite the criticism he has gotten since coming to New York.
Other Notable NL Silver Slugger Winners
As mentioned before, Matt Olson took home the Silver Slugger on the first base side after leading the National League with 54 home runs. Luis Arraez (2B), Austin Riley (3B), and William Contreras (C) rounded out the infield winners. In the outfield, the winners were Ronald Acuña Jr., Mookie Betts, and Juan Soto. Bryce Harper won it as a designated hitter, and Cody Bellinger got the not on the utility player side. The team Silver Slugger was no surprise as the Atlanta Braves won it after a historic year. The offense displayed so much power during the regular season and set numerous records. They tied the 2019 Minnesota Twins for the most home runs by a team in a single season with 307. There was no better power-hitting offense in MLB during the regular season than the Braves.
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