Shohei Ohtani wins MLB Silver Slugger Award as best DH
He hit 46 home runs and also started 23 games as a pitcher. He is one of nine international players who received a Silver Slugger Award in 2021.
Japanese two-way phenom and 2015 WBSC Premier12 star Shohei Ohtani won the Silver Slugger Award as the best designated hitter (DH) in Major League Baseball (MLB). Ohtani had a .257 batting average over the 155 games he played for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He also hit 46 home runs and batted in exactly 100 runs.
Ohtani put together his impressive offensive numbers while also starting 23 games and earning nine wins. He posted a 3.19 earned run average (ERA) over 130.1 innings pitched.
Ohtani is one of nine international players who received Silver Slugger Awards this season.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr, who was born in Canada while his Hall of Famer Dominican father was playing for the Montreal Expos, at age 22, became the youngest player to win the award at first base. He also became the youngest player in the Toronto Blue Jays history to win the award.
Atlanta Braves' Ozzie Albies (Curaçao, Kingdom of the Netherlands) was the best hitter amongst National League second basemen. Xander Bogaerts (Aruba, Kingdom of the Netherlands) won his fourth Silver Slugger Award as the American League shortstop. Rafael Devers, a Boston Red Sox as Bogaerts, was the American League Silver Slugger at third base. The National League Silver Slugger shortstop was San Diego Padres Fernando Tatis Jr.
Kansas City Royals veteran Salvador Perez (Venezuela) won his fourth Silver Slugger Award at catcher in the American League. Two Dominicans won the Award as outfielders: Teoscar Hernandez (Toronto Blue Jays) in the American League and Juan Soto (Washington Nationals) in the National League.
