Baltimore Orioles Duo Win First Career Silver Sluggers
Baltimore Orioles third baseman Gunnar Henderson and catcher Adley Rutschman were named Silver Sluggers on Thursday.
It’s the first Silver Slugger for both players.
The Silver Slugger Awards are voted on by MLB managers and coaches and are given to the top offensive player at each position in each league. That includes three outfielders and one utility player in each league.
Henderson is up for American League Rookie of the Year, along with Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee and Boston’s Triston Casas. That award will be announced on Monday.
Henderson played in 150 games and slashed .255/.325/.489/.814 with 29 doubles, nine triples, 28 home runs and 82 RBI. He struck out 159 times and walked 56 times. He also stole 10 bases. Baltimore selected Henderson in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Morgan High School in Selma, Ala.
Rutschman, in his second full season behind the plate, earned his first All-Star Game nod a season after finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting and 12th in AL MVP voting.
Rutschman slashed .277/.374/.435/.809 with 31 doubles, a triple, 20 home runs and 80 RBI. He walked 92 times and struck out 101 times. He was the Orioles’ first-round pick in 2019 out of Oregon State.
Henderson and Rutschman helped Baltimore to an AL-best 101 wins, an AL East title and their first postseason appearance since the AL Wild Card game in 2016.
The Orioles fell to the Texas Rangers, 3-0, in the AL Division Series. The Rangers went on to win the World Series.
