The Silver Slugger finalists for both the National League and the American League have been announced here at FanSided. While there’s quite a few names that deserved to be included, it’s no surprise that there were some solid hitters this year that didn’t quite make the cut. We know the snubs, but which ones are actually good enough to return to the silver slugger conversation next year?
It’s not an exhaustive list, but here are a few names to remember for next season. One of those names is a familiar one in Fernando Tatis Jr., who’s no stranger to swinging a scorching hot bat. After all, he’s won the award twice before and after serving an 80-game suspension, he’s resurged as one of the best hitters in the game.
Tune in as the winners for this season's NL Silver Sluggers are announced on Nov. 6 on The Baseball Insiders live stream on YouTube. The AL winners will be announced on Nov. 7.
Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres
You could make the argument that Tatis Jr. should have been a finalist at worst this season. Looking at his numbers alone, he was right there in the race with Francisco Lindor, Trea Turner and Geraldo Perdomo. There honestly wasn’t much separation between the four of them. You could honestly interchange each one of them, and it would still be fair.
Tatis Jr. ended up being the odd man out, which will probably fuel him to flex just how good of a batter he still is. The performance-enhancing drugs suspension was a hit to his reputation, but since he’s returned full-time, he’s still one of the best hitters in the game and at his position. Think of this year’s snub as motivation to prove why he’s still the best.
The Padres' speedy slugger had a slow start to the season, which ultimately left him out of contention. I know it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish; but that’s the only justification as to why he was left off. The last month of the season, he was on a tear with a .900 OPS in September with seven home runs and 14 RBI — he only had two other months (March and April) with more than two home runs.
Michael Busch, Chicago Cubs
It’s honestly kind of criminal that Michael Busch didn’t make the list. The only batter you could truly say was better than him was Pete Alonso. Freddie Freeman and Matt Olson had solid years, but Busch’s was too good, especially with how good the Chicago Cubs were this year, to overlook. That’s why he’ll be back in contention for the award next year.
In fact, with his arbitration years coming up, he’s going to do everything he can to prove to the Cubs brass that he deserves a lengthy and lucrative contract extension. He was a welcomed addition almost two years ago, and now he’s proving why he was worth bringing in. This feels like the beginning of his stardom in MLB, he’ll be one of the top batters again in 2026 to prove why he should have been a finalist this year.
Issac Paredes, Houston Astros
Issac Paredes was the victim of an untimely injury that ultimately hurt his chances of being in consideration of the Silver Slugger award. He was on a tear this season up until his injury in July and after missing nearly two months, he didn’t have enough games to make up for lost time. Next season, he’ll be one of the third baseman on the list and represent the Astros.
This year, he finished with a .254 batting average with 20 home runs and 53 RBI; he also had an .809 OPS. Before he got hurt, he had three-straight months with an OPS of .847 or higher. Missing two months affected him in his return to the final few games of the season, he finished with a .185 average and .538 OPS.
Jo Adell, Los Angeles Angels
Jo Adell was simply the victim of playing on a bad team and being in a crowded position group. It’s always going to be hard to stand out when you’re competing against Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Riley Greene. The Angels were at full strength for most of the season, and we saw how competitive they can be. If they turn the corner next year, it could be what gets Adell in the conversation.
Again, it will be tough with a deep outfield class to choose from, but Adell burst onto the scene the last two seasons. I wouldn’t be surprised if he builds on yet another strong season and manages to crash the silver slugger party.