Shohei Ohtani wins Silver Slugger at DH again

Shohei Ohtani, who led the American League in home runs despite missing the final month of the season for the Angels, won the Silver Slugger at designated hitter for the second time in three years.

Ohtani hit 44 homers in 135 games, before suffering an oblique injury that cost him the final four weeks of the season. Ohtani also led the league with a .412 on-base percentage and he led the majors with a .654 slugging percentage and an OPS of 1.066. His batting average was .304.

Ohtani, who is a free agent, is expected to win the AL MVP Award when it’s announced next Thursday.

In 2021, Ohtani also won the MVP and the Silver Slugger.

A vote of MLB managers and coaches decides the Silver Slugger Award winners. Each team is allotted four votes, given to the manager and three coaches of his choice. Votes are based on a combination of offensive statistics including OBP, OPS, OPS+, home runs, hits, RBIs and batting average as well as the managers’ and coaches’ general impressions of a player’s overall offensive value.

Ohtani will receive a three-foot tall Silver Slugger award from Louisville Slugger, fashioned in the shape of a bat. Each trophy bears a custom engraving of the recipient’s name along with the names of the other Silver Slugger winners in that player’s league.