As the World Series matchup no one saw coming (well, partially) looms, we're fast approaching Awards Season, and FanSided has you covered. Come November, this season's Silver Slugger winners will be live, and the first step in that process begins now, as the top three American League finalists at each position have just dropped.
The winners will be selected from the group of offensive stars revealed below, and will be announced exclusively on The Baseball Insiders live stream on YouTube. The National League show will take place at 6:00 p.m. EST on Nov. 6, followed by the American League show the following night at 6:00 p.m. EST on Nov. 7. The NL finalists dropped first on Wednesday morning, and featured a bout of Dodgers dominance.
The Silver Slugger awards, presented annually since 1980 to the best hitter at each position in their respective leagues, were voted on by MLB managers and a panel of three selected coaches from each team. According to Louisville Slugger, a "utility" winner qualifies for the positionless honor with "a minimum of 100 games with at least 20 games played at two or more positions." The accounting firm of Deming, Malone, Livesay & Ostroff verifies the tabulation of ballots.
This year's group features breakout young stars in cities that deserve a nod, as well as powerhouse performances from some repeat nominees and a few party crashers we never expected on Opening Day (hello, AL Utility). Only one can ultimately be crowned on each side, but every finalist here deserves a smattering of applause.
American League Finalists for 2025 Silver Slugger Award
First Base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays; Nick Kurtz, Athletics; Vinnie Pasquantino, Kansas City Royals
Second Base: Jazz Chisholm Jr., New York Yankees; Brandon Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays; Jorge Polanco, Seattle Mariners
Third Base: Alex Bregman, Boston Red Sox; Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays; José Ramírez, Cleveland Guardians
Shortstop: Bo Bichette, Toronto Blue Jays; Jeremy Peña, Houston Astros; Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals
Outfield: Cody Bellinger, New York Yankees; Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins; Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers; Aaron Judge, New York Yankees; Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners; George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays
Catcher: Shea Langeliers, Athletics; Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals; Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners
DH: Yandy Díaz, Tampa Bay Rays; Brent Rooker, Athletics; George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays
Utility: Maikel Garcia, Kansas City Royals; Zach McKinstry, Detroit Tigers; Ben Rice, New York Yankees
Team: New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays
Who will take home the hardware? Tune in exclusively on The Baseball Insiders on Nov. 7 for the American League reveal, and read FanSided.com and the FanSided MLB Network for creative coverage of the award's history.