Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto win Silver Slugger Award
For the first time since 2007, two Phillies were awarded the Louisville Silver Slugger Award at their respective positions.
Outfielder Kyle Schwarber and catcher J.T. Realmuto were among the 2022 winners of the annual award given to the top offensive players at each position. Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins were the last pair of Phillies teammates to capture the award in the same season back in 2007.
Bryce Harper was nominated for the award as a designated hitter, but fell just one game short of being eligible to win. Nominees need to appear in at least 100 games to qualify to win the award. Harper played in 99 games. Instead, the award goes to Josh Bell, who slashed .266/.362/.422 with 17 home runs and 71 RBIs across 156 games played for the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres.
For Schwarber, it’s his first-career Silver Slugger Award win. His first season as a Phillie was a huge success both on and off the field. He led the National League with 46 home runs and finished the regular season with the third-highest OPS among NL outfielders at .827. His blazing hot June where he hit 12 home runs arguably saved the Phillies season. Schwarber also grew into being the invaluable clubhouse leader Phillies officials hoped he would become when they signed him to a four-year, $78 million contract prior to the start of the season.
This is Realmuto’s third-career Silver Slugger Award win and first since 2019, his first season with the Phillies. After struggling at the plate for most of the first half, Realmuto went on a tear. He slashed .307/.367/.583 with 14 home runs and 46 RBIs after the All-Star break. Among catchers with at least 400 plate appearances in 2022, Realmuto finished first in OPS (.820) and second in batting average (.276), slugging percentage (.478) and RBIs (84).
Realmuto also picked up his second Gold Glove Award this month. He should receive some NL MVP votes following his all-around excellent 2022 campaign.
The Silver Slugger Award is voted on by MLB managers and coaches. Past winners from the Phillies include Harper, Utley, Rollins, Ryan Howard, Bobby Abreu, Scott Rolen, Lenny Dykstra, Darren Daulton, Juan Samuel, Manny Trillo, Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt.
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