Royals’ Kendrys Morales wins AL Silver Slugger award at DH
A year after posting the worst offensive output of his career, Royals designated hitter Kendrys Morales was honored as the best hitter at his position in the American League with a Louisville Silver Slugger award Thursday night.
It is the first Silver Slugger for Morales, who hit .290/.362/.485 with 22 home runs, 41 doubles and 106 RBIs in 158 games, his most in a season since 2013. His .847 on-base-plus-slugging percentage was his best since 2009. In 2014, after sitting out the major-league season until June, Morales posted a career-worst .612 OPS.
But with the Royals, Morales flourished in the first year of a two-year, $17 million contract. He produced 53 RBIs with two outs, setting a Royals record, and he became the first Royal to drive in 100 runs in a season since 2012, when the player he replaced, Billy Butler, drove in 107.
The Silver Slugger award winners are voted on by major-league managers and coaches, who cannot pick players from their own team, and go to the player they deem to be the top offensive producer at each position in the American and National leagues.
Morales is the eighth different Royals player to win the award. The others are George Brett in 1980 and 1985 at third base and 1988 at first base, Willie Wilson in 1980 and 1982 at outfield, Hal McRae in 1982 at DH, Frank White in 1986 at second base, Gary Gaetti in 1995 at third base, Dean Palmer in 1998 at third base and Butler in 2012.
AL Silver Sluggers
C: Brian McCann, New York
1B: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit
2B: Jose Altuve, Houston
3B: Josh Donaldson, Toronto
SS: Xander Bogaerts, Boston
OF: Mike Trout, Los Angeles; Nelson Cruz, Seattle; J.D. Martinez, Detroit
DH: Morales
NL Silver Sluggers
C: Buster Posey, San Francisco
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona
2B: Dee Gordon, Miami
3B: Nolan Arenado, Colorado
SS: Brandon Crawford, San Francisco
OF: Bryce Harper, Washington; Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh; Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado
P: Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco
This story was originally published November 12, 2015 at 7:29 PM with the headline "Royals’ Kendrys Morales wins AL Silver Slugger award at DH."