In the Twins Silver Slugger history, career leader Kirby Puckett has won six, Joe Mauer has five and surprisingly Josh Willingham has one. Many MLB greats have been blessed with this award. This award provides a clear measure of sustained hitting excellence. An analysis of each MLB team's highest individual recipient of the Silver Slugger award reveals a fascinating hierarchy of franchise legends, ranging from unprecedented dominance to shorter, albeit significant, stretches of brilliance.
Silver Slugger Elites
The list is topped by Barry Bonds, whose 9 Silver Slugger Awards with the San Francisco Giants and 12 overall place him in a tier of his own. This remarkable total not only defines his (perhaps aided) career but also sets the benchmark for offensive longevity and consistent power across multiple decades. Only one other player in this compilation broke the double-digit mark: catcher Mike Piazza, who secured 10 awards while playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, the career leader for both clubs. Side note: Alex Rodriguez had 10, but isn't a career leader for any of the clubs he played for.
Following close behind is modern legend Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels, who has amassed 9 awards, confirming his place as the defining offensive force of his generation. Hall of Famer Barry Larkin slugged 9 awards in his career with the Cincinnati Reds. This duo demonstrated a rare level of annual dominance.
Hall of Fame Company
Just beneath this tier is a Hall of Fame cluster of players who achieved numerous individual awards for their respective teams: Cal Ripken Jr (Baltimore Orioles) Wade Boggs (Boston Red Sox) and future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera (Detroit Tigers and Miami Marlins) clock in with 8, with Cabrera being the career leader of Detroit and Miami. The Padres’ all-time batting champion Tony Gwynn, Ryne Sandberg (Chicago Cubs), Jose Altuve (Houston Astros) and Ken Griffey Jr. (Seattle Mariners) come in at 7.
Their sustained success is echoed by players in the six award range, including the Cardinals' legendary first baseman Albert Pujols, Mike Schmidt (Philadelphia Phillies) and Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez (Texas Rangers). These men were the foundational cornerstones of their franchises' offenses for well over half of their careers.
Individual Leaders by Team
Arizona Diamondbacks: Paul Goldschmidt 4
Atlanta Braves: Brian McCann 5
Baltimore Orioles: Cal Ripken Jr. 8
Boston Red Sox: Wade Boggs 8
Chicago Cubs: Ryne Sandberg 7
Chicago White Sox: Frank Thomas 4
Cincinnati Reds: Barry Larkin 9
Cleveland Guardians: José Ramírez 5
Colorado Rockies: Todd Helton and Nolan Arenado 4
Detroit Tigers: Miguel Cabrera 6
Houston Astros: Jose Altuve 7
Kansas City Royals: Salvador Perez 5
Los Angeles Angels: Mike Trout 5
Los Angeles Dodgers: Mike Piazza 5
Miami Marlins: Giancarlo Stanton and Miguel Cabrera 2
Milwaukee Brewers: Ryan Braun 5
Minnesota Twins: Kirby Puckett 6
Montreal Expos: Gary Carter and Andre Dawson 3
New York Mets: Mike Piazza 5
New York Yankees: Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter 5
Oakland Athletics: Mark McGwire 2
Philadelphia Phillies: Mike Schmidt 6
Pittsburgh Pirates: Andrew McCutchen 4
San Diego Padres: Tony Gwynn 7
San Francisco Giants: Barry Bonds 9
Seattle Mariners: Ken Griffey Jr. 7
St. Louis Cardinals: Albert Pujols 6
Texas Rangers: Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez 6
Toronto Blue Jays: Carlos Delgado 3
Washington Nationals: Ian Desmond 3
This year's Silver Slugger Award winners will be announced on Nov. 9 exclusively here on FanSided and The Baseball Insiders podcast. More about the award can be found here.