Shohei Ohtani, Ronald Acuña Jr. Headline 2023 MLB Silver Slugger Awards Winners

The Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani and Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts headlined the Silver Slugger Award winners for the 2023 MLB season Thursday.

This marked the first year teams were honored in the voting. The Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers were the winners for their respective leagues, and the Braves' three Silver Sluggers (Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Ronald Acuña Jr.) were the most of any team.

Here's the full list of winners:

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American League

• Catcher: Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles
  
• First Base: Yandy Díaz, Tampa Bay Rays 
• Second Base: Marcus Semien, Texas Rangers 
• Third Base: Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox
• Shortstop: Corey Seager, Texas Rangers 
• Outfield: Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros
• Outfield: Julio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners
• Outfield: Luis Robert Jr., Chicago White Sox
• Designated Hitter: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels 
• Utility: Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles
• Team: Texas Rangers

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National League

• Catcher: William Contreras, Milwaukee Brewers
• First Base: Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves
• Second Base: Luis Arraez, Miami Marlins 
• Third Base: Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves
• Shortstop: Francisco Lindor, New York Mets
• Outfield: Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves
• Outfield: Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Outfield: Juan Soto, San Diego Padres
• Designated Hitter: Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies
• Utility: Cody Bellinger, Chicago Cubs
• Team: Atlanta Braves

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The National League outfield had perhaps the tightest race given Acuña and Mookie Betts were effectively locks for two of the three spots. The pair tied for the highest WAR among position players (8.3) at FanGraphs.

Acuña hit 41 home runs and had 149 runs scored while stealing 73 bases and hitting .337. His combination of power and speed is unparalleled among his peers as no player had ever finished with 40 homers and 70 steals.

Not to be outdone, Betts posted a .307/.408/.579 slash line to with his 39 home runs, 107 RBI and 126 runs scored. The 2018 AL MVP was especially productive after the All-Star break, posting a 1.018 OPS in the second half of the season.

The San Diego Padres' Juan Soto rounded out the NL outfield after leading MLB in walks (132) for the third time in his career and posting a 158 OPS+, per Baseball Reference. In a year when little went right for his team, the three-time All-Star's consistency at the plate was an outlier.

Over in the American League, Ohtani and Houston Astros star Yordan Alvarez waged a tight head-to-head battle in the designated hitter slot.

Alvarez was the reigning Silver Slugger at the position, and the fact he was a finalist despite only appearing in 114 games spoke to his monster numbers. He hit 31 homers and slugged .583.

And it still wasn't enough to beat out Ohtani, who led the American League in homers (44) and on-base percentage (.412) while leading the majors in slugging (.654). Even though the two-way sensation won't pitch in 2024 after undergoing elbow surgery, his value as a hitter is almost on its own enough to justify a record-setting contract this offseason.

The 2023 season was defined in part by high-spending teams falling flat on their faces. The Padres, New York Mets and New York Yankees had the three most expensive payrolls, and none of the trio made the postseason.

The Texas Rangers are an example of how you can buy your way to success, though. Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, the crown jewels of the organization's 2022 offseason, both played pivotal roles as Texas captured its first World Series title.

Seager, who might be adding an MVP to his trophy case, slugged a career-high .623 and led the American League in doubles (42) across just 119 games. He also matched a personal best in homers (33).

Semien, meanwhile, paced the Junior Circuit with 185 hits and 122 runs. His .276 average and .348 on-base percentage were among the best of his career as well.

Even if the Rangers never win another World Series with them on the roster, the $500 million Texas committed to Seager and Semien has paid off.