Texas Rangers Middle Infield Duo Win Silver Sluggers
Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien and shortstop Corey Seager were selected as Silver Slugger winners at their respective positions on Thursday.
MLB managers and coaches vote on the Silver Slugger Awards which are given to the top offensive player at each position in each league. That includes three outfielders and one utility player in each league.
The Rangers won the inaugural Silver Slugger Award as Offensive Team of the Year in the American League. Texas led the AL in all four slash categories (.263/.337/.452/.790) for the first time in franchise history, with a league-leading 881 runs and 233 home runs (tied).
Semien won the Silver Slugger for the second time (Toronto in 2021). He is the third Rangers second baseman to win the award at least twice, joining Julio Franco and Alfonso Soriano.
He slashed .276/.348/.478/.826 with 29 home runs, four triples, 29 doubles, 100 RBI, and 122 runs. He was the fifth player in MLB history with at least 100 RBI in the leadoff spot.
Semien started all 179 games for Texas in the regular season and postseason, setting the MLB record for a single campaign. His 835 combined plate appearances also set a single-season MLB record.
Seager won his third Silver Slugger, but his first with Texas. He’s the second Rangers shortstop to be selected, joining Alex Rodriguez.
He slashed .327/.390/.623/1.013 with 33 home runs, 42 doubles, and 96 RBI in 119 games. His 1.013 OPS was the eighth-highest ever by a shortstop and the highest since Rodriguez in 2002.
Seager also became the second shortstop with 65 or more extra-base hits and an OPS+ of at least 170 in a single season, joining Honus Wagner, who did it in 1908 with Pittsburgh.
They are the sixth second base-shortstop duo to win the Silver Slugger in the same season and the first since 2006.
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