Silver Slugger Awards set to be handed out

The players who have swung wooden bats better than anybody on the planet this year will be honored with silver ones Wednesday for their performances.

The Silver Slugger Awards, the annual honors for the best offensive player at each position in each league, will be revealed on MLB Network at 6 p.m. ET, and the usual suspects will be there, along with some new hitters at the top of the game.

The Hank Aaron Award recipients figure to be at the head of the silver parade. Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers will be a favorite for a second straight honor at third base in the American League, and Paul Goldschmidt of the D-backs figures to grab his first silver bat at first base in the National League.

Among the other favorites for honors is Robinson Cano, the Yankees' second baseman and now the biggest prize on the free-agent market. Cano has won three consecutive Silver Sluggers and four overall, and his three-year streak is the longest active one in the AL. The NL's longest streak will come to an end at five with the Brewers' Ryan Braun having been suspended for the final 65 games of the regular season for violating baseball's drug policy.

Andrew McCutchen, the Pirates outfielder and recipient of this year's Players' Choice NL Outstanding Player honor, is one likely NL repeat winner. In the AL, Mike Trout of the Angels figures to make it 2-for-2 in the outfield, while the Orioles' Chris Davis has built a powerful case to take the silver at first base -- both are finalists for the AL Most Valuable Player Award, along with Cabrera.

Following the Silver Sluggers announcement, the awards season will turn to the Baseball Writers' Association of America's four major honors, with announcement shows next week on MLB Network. With three finalists in each category announced earlier this week, Rookie of the Year honors for each league will be revealed Monday, then Manager of the Year on Tuesday, Cy Young on Nov. 13 and MVP on Nov. 14. All announcement shows are set for 6 p.m. ET.