American League Silver Slugger Awards Announced: Honoring the Top Hitters of the 2025 MLB Season

The first round of the 2025 Silver Slugger Awards for the National League was officially revealed yesterday, honoring the top hitters of the league. Today, the American League’s finest hitters have also received their moment of glory.

The Silver Slugger Awards are chosen by MLB managers and coaches, aiming to recognize the best offensive players at every defensive position in both leagues—including three outfielders and one utility player. Each league also selects an "Offensive Team of the Year."

Here is the full list of the 2025 American League Silver Slugger Award winners:

First Base: Nick Kurtz, Oakland Athletics (First-time winner)
This Athletics rookie star burst onto the scene in 2025, playing 117 games in his debut season with a batting average of .290, 36 home runs, 86 RBIs, and a slugging percentage of 1.002. Kurtz is one of only three players this season with at least 400 plate appearances to surpass a slugging mark of 1.000, alongside fellow winners Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. Following Brent Rooker’s designated hitter win in 2024, the Athletics have had a Silver Slugger winner for two consecutive seasons; the last winner in franchise history before that was Eric Chavez in 2002.

Second Base: Jazz Chisholm Jr., New York Yankees (First-time winner)
Chisholm joins a long list of Yankee second basemen who have won the Silver Slugger, including DJ LeMahieu, Robinson Canó, Alfonso Soriano, and Willie Randolph. In 2025, Chisholm recorded his career-first "30-30" season (30 home runs and 30 stolen bases), hitting a personal best of 31 homers and stealing 31 bases. He is also one of seven players in MLB history to join the record-breaking "30-30 club" this season.

Third Base: José Ramírez, Cleveland Guardians (Sixth time winner)
“J-Ram” Ramírez secured his second consecutive Silver Slugger, having previously achieved back-to-back wins in 2017 and 2018. The Cleveland star third baseman hit 30 home runs and stole 44 bases in 2025, marking his third career "30-30" season and second consecutive "30-40" season. Ramírez also became one of only three third basemen to win at least six Silver Slugger awards, alongside Wade Boggs (eight times) and Mike Schmidt (six times).

Shortstop: Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals (Second time winner)
With another energetic season—batting .295, 23 home runs, 38 stolen bases, and a slugging percentage of .852—Witt successfully defended his Silver Slugger title. The 25-year-old star joins Salvador Perez, George Brett, and Willie Wilson as the only Royals players to win multiple Silver Slugger awards in franchise history.

Outfielder: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees (Fifth time winner)
Judge has now tied Derek Jeter, Robinson Canó, Jorge Posada, and Dave Winfield as the Yankees' all-time leader in Silver Slugger awards. The superstar delivered another historic season in 2025 with a .331 batting average, 53 home runs, 114 RBIs, and a slugging percentage of 1.144. He earned his first career batting title and led the entire league in batting average, on-base percentage (.457), and slugging (.688). Judge won the Silver Slugger for the second year in a row and has taken home the award four times in the past five years.

Outfielder: Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins (First-time winner)
Buxton has demonstrated powerful offensive skills for years but was previously hindered by injuries that prevented him from fully competing for the Silver Slugger. In 2025, he reached a career-high 542 plate appearances, posted a slugging percentage of .551, an OPS of .878, hit 35 home runs, and stole 24 bases.

Outfielder: Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers (First-time winner)
At just 24 years old and selected to his second All-Star game this season, Greene continues to improve his power output. He hit 36 home runs (tied for fifth in the American League), drove in 111 runs (fourth in the AL), and posted a slugging percentage of .493. This marks the first Silver Slugger winner for the Tigers since Miguel Cabrera in 2016, and Greene is the first Tigers outfielder to win since J.D. Martinez in 2015.

Catcher: Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners (First-time winner)
The "big guy" Raleigh’s outstanding season continues. While it remains uncertain if he will be named the 2025 American League MVP (results to be announced Thursday), it is confirmed he has secured his first Silver Slugger, adding to his accolades. As a first-time All-Star and Home Run Derby champion in 2025, Raleigh broke multiple records, leading the league with 60 home runs and 125 RBIs, and helped the Mariners claim their first AL West title in 24 years.

Designated Hitter: George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays (Third time winner)
For Springer, this was a perfect comeback season. His previous Silver Slugger wins came in 2017 and 2019 while with the Houston Astros. Now in his fifth season with the Blue Jays, despite showing some decline in 2023-24, Springer bounced back strongly in 2025, even turning 36 in September. Only Aaron Judge had a higher OPS (0.959) in the AL. As a member of the AL East champion team, he also hit 32 home runs and successfully stole 18 bases out of 19 attempts.

Utility Player: Zach McKinstry, Detroit Tigers (First-time winner)
For 30-year-old McKinstry, this season marked a breakthrough. Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 33rd round of 2016, he was acquired by the Tigers in a minor trade with the Chicago Cubs in March 2023. This year, McKinstry established himself as a key player in Detroit and earned his first All-Star selection. He posted a slash line of .259/.333/.438 with an OPS+ of 113, hitting 12 home runs, 23 doubles, 11 triples, and stealing 19 bases. McKinstry truly deserves the "utility player" title, having started at second base, third base, shortstop, and both corner outfield positions.

Offensive Team of the Year: New York Yankees (Second time winner)
Led by Judge, the Yankees scored a league-leading 849 runs in 2025, outpacing every other team in the American League by at least 51 runs. They also dominated in home runs (274), slugging percentage (.455), OPS (.787), and total bases (2,488). Beyond Judge, this team boasts remarkable offensive depth, with seven players hitting over 20 home runs and six regular starters posting slugging percentages of at least .460 and OPS above .810.