The postseason may not have gone the way the Braves had hoped, but that still doesn’t take away from all the history they accomplished during the regular season. Plenty of hardware will be headed to Atlanta, including several Silver Sluggers.
On Thursday, the finalists for the Silver Slugger awards in each league were announced, and six Braves were featured.
At first base, Matt Olson is a finalist alongside Freddie Freeman and Pete Alonso. It will surely come down to Freeman and Olson, but I have to imagine the Braves new first baseman holds the edge given he led Major League Baseball in home runs with 54. It is the Silver Slugger Award after all.
At second base, Ozzie Albies is a finalist along with Ketel Marte and Luis Arraez. This one might be the closest race of the bunch when looking at the numbers, but with Arraez winning the batting title, I have a feeling he will get the nod.
Austin Riley, Nolan Arenado, Manny Machado, and Max Muncy are the finalists at third base. This is one of the most loaded positions in the National League, but Riley has established himself as the best offensive third baseman by a wide margin. He’s going to win the second Silver Slugger award of his career.
In the outfield, Ronald Acuña Jr. will undoubtedly win the award. At catcher, Sean Murphy probably will not because of his second half slump, but the Braves should have at least four winners with Marcell Ozuna representing the designated hitters. He was a revelation in 2023 and the best DH in the National League, mashing 40 homers with 100 RBIs.
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Photo: John Adams/Icon Sportswire
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