Miggy, J.D. Martinez claim Silver Sluggers
Tigers' first baseman is 18th player to win at least six awards
DETROIT -- For the third time in four years, the Tigers have multiple winners of the Silver Slugger Award. While Miguel Cabrera added to his resume among the game's greatest hitters by winning his sixth, J.D. Martinez punctuated his jump among the best in the game by winning his first Silver Slugger presented by Louisville Slugger.
Cabrera's Silver Slugger, as voted on by managers and coaches in each respective league, is his fourth in six years. He was already in rare company with Silver Sluggers at three different positions in his career, having won at both corner infield spots and the outfield. By beating out Chris Davis, Eric Hosmer, Albert Pujols and others among a crowded field at first base this year, Cabrera joined Alex Rodriguez as the only players with multiple Gold Glove Awards at different infield spots.
Cabrera's latest Silver Slugger Award was his second as a first baseman, having also won it in 2010. Cabrera also has three as a third baseman, including 2012 and '13, and one as an outfielder in the National League with the Marlins. He is the 18th player to win at least six Silver Sluggers.
Cabrera overcame a painful recovery from right ankle surgery and a left calf strain that cost him six weeks in July and August to post a .338 average (145-for-429), 18 points better than his closest AL competitor and five points better than National League batting champion Dee Gordon. Despite a drop in home runs, Cabrera's .974 OPS ranked fifth in the Majors and second in the AL to Angels star Mike Trout. Cabrera's .440 on-base percentage, meanwhile, led everyone else in the league by at least 38 points.
Cabrera ranked third among AL players in Win Probability Added at 4.6, trailing only AL MVP candidates Trout and Josh Donaldson. Despite the six lost weeks, Cabrera finished fourth among AL players in Adjusted Batting Runs with 46 and 10th in Offensive Wins Above Replacement at 4.8.
Among AL first basemen, Cabrera had no equal in most of those categories, surpassed only by Davis and Prince Fielder in some power categories.
Martinez, meanwhile, followed up his breakthrough 2014 season. Having proven himself as an everyday hitter on the Tigers, Martinez built on that by making himself one of the best hitters in the league. His 38 home runs and 109 runs created ranked eighth among all AL players, his 319 total bases ranked fifth, his 102 RBIs ranked seventh and his .879 OPS placed him ninth.
Only Jose Bautista had more RBIs among AL outfielders. Bautista, Nelson Cruz and Trout were the lone AL outfielders with a higher OPS. Trout and Cruz joined Martinez as Silver Slugger winners in the outfield. A 32-point advantage in batting average likely helped Martinez garner more votes than Bautista.