Bruce wins Silver Slugger
Reds RF Jay Bruce was named a National League Silver Slugger winner on Thursday. Like the Gold Gloves, voting is done by the league’s managers and coaches.
Bruce, 25, batted .252/.327/.514 with career bests in homers (34), RBIs (99) and doubles (35).
No Reds outfielder has won a Silver Slugger since Eric Davis in 1989. There have only been two winners from the club since Barry Larkin was winning them regularly in the 1990s — SS Felipe Lopez won one in 2005 and 2B Brandon Phillips claimed one last year.
Bruce was the only Red to win a Silver Slugger this year. Below is the complete list of winners:
1B – Adam LaRoche, Washington Nationals
2B – Aaron Hill, Arizona Diamondbacks
3B – Chase Headley, San Diego Padres
SS – Ian Desmond, Washington Nationals
OF – Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
OF – Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers
OF – Jay Bruce, Cincinnati Reds
C – Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
P – Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals
The one that actually surprised me a little was Strasburg beating out Reds fifth starter Mike Leake.
Leake batted .295/.306/.443 with two homers and three RBIs. Strasburg batted .277/.333/.426 with one homer and seven RBIs.
Click here to read Bruce’s reaction in a story on MLB.com/Reds.com.
Mark Sheldon
Pingback: Jay Bruce wins Silver Slugger Award | Redleg Nation
A surprise to me as well on Leake considering Strasburg got shutdown early and didnt finish out the season.
It’s all a question of popularity, even among the braintrusts of other teams.