Major League Baseball's offseason awards kept rolling on Tuesday evening. A day after Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler was named a finalist for the NL Cy Young Award, the 2024 Silver Slugger Awards were up for grabs.
After being shut out of the Gold Glove Awards, despite having four finalists, the Phillies finally got their first piece of hardware for the 2024 season.
Three Phillies were finalists for the award, which is presented to the best offensive performer at each position. The Phillies nominees were first baseman Bryce Harper, catcher J.T. Realmuto and third baseman Alec Bohm.
Unfortunately not all three Phillies were named winners on MLB Network's awards show on Tuesday.
Bryce Harper only Phillies player to win a Silver Slugger Award, J.T. Realmuto and Alec Bohm denied
Harper wins his fourth career NL Silver Slugger Award, his third with the Phillies and his first at first base. The 32-year-old hit .285 with an .898 OPS this season, with 30 home runs and 87 RBI in 145 games. The Phillies superstar's OPS led all qualified NL first basemen, as did his 42 doubles, .525 slugging percentage, 145 wRC+ and 5.2 fWAR. He finished second in home runs, on-base percentage and batting average.
Harper was up against Pete Alonso of the New York Mets and Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Bryce Harper is a National League Silver Slugger Award winner for the fourth time in his career and first time at first base. pic.twitter.com/JN90ple2Dx
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 12, 2024
Realmuto was unable to bring home his fourth career Silver Slugger at catcher, losing out to William Contreras of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Realmuto had a solid but not spectacular season that was cut down by injury, hitting .266 with a .751 OPS. Only playing in 99 games after missing time due to a knee operation, the 33-year-old backstop's 14 home runs were his fewest in a non-shortened season since 2016. He drove in 47 runs, his fewest as a Phillie, not counting the shortened 2020 season.
Bohm failed to win his first career Silver Slugger after putting together his first All-Star season at the hot corner. Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres beat out Bohm and Matt Chapman of the San Francisco Giants.
In 143 games, the 28-year-old Bohm led all qualified NL third basemen with a .280 batting average, a .332 on-base percentage and 44 doubles. His .779 OPS and 15 home runs put him behind both Machado and Chapman. He tied a career-high with 97 RBI, which trailed Macahdo's 105.
Bohm struggled immensely after hurting his hand late in the season. Without that injury and the subsequent slump, there's a good chance the Silver Slugger is his. Instead, he goes home empty-handed and all he has to show for it is a reported spot on the trade block.