Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre named to Louisville Slugger's 2014 Silver Slugger team

Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre has been named winner of a 2014 Silver Slugger Award in an announcement tonight by Louisville Slugger on MLB Network. It is the fourth career award for Beltre, and he has won the American League's honor at third base in three of the last five seasons.

Beltre's four career Silver Slugger Awards are the most of any of the 18 players selected for the 2014 A.L. and N.L. Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Awards. 

Beltre's previous Silver Slugger Awards came in 2004 (Los Angeles-NL), 2010 (Boston), and 2011 (Texas), as he becomes just the fourth player (both leagues) since the award's inception in 1980 to win four times as a third baseman. The other three on that list are Wade Boggs (8), Mike Schmidt (6), and Matt Williams (4). Beltre has now taken the honor twice in his four seasons with Texas, this after Buddy Bell (1984) had been the only previous Rangers third baseman to win the award.

Beltre now has four Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Awards and four Rawlings Gold Glove Awards (2007, 2008, 2011, 2012) at third base in his career. The only other third basemen in history to win both awards at least four times each in a career are Mike Schmidt and Matt Williams. Beltre played last season at the age of 35, the fourth-oldest third baseman to win a Silver Slugger. The only older players to take the honors were Mike Schmidt (1986), Wade Boggs (1994), and Gary Gaetti (1995).

In 2014, Beltre batted .324 with 19 home runs and 77 RBI while being selected for the All-Star Game for the fourth time in his career. He ranked among American League leaders in batting average (4th) and on-base percentage (3rd, .388), also finishing among league leaders in hits (9th, 178) and slugging (10th, .492). He led the Rangers in average, home runs, and RBI for a second consecutive season.

Beltre becomes the ninth different player to win multiple Silver Slugger Awards with the Rangers, although just five of those nine players have been infielders: Beltre, Julio Franco (1989-90-91 at second base), Alex Rodriguez (2001-02-03 at shortstop), Alfonso Soriano (2004-05 at second base), and Mark Teixeira (2004-05 at first base).