by Megan Garcia
The Dodgers have three Silver Sluggers in a single season for the first time in franchise history.
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernández and Mookie Betts were named Silver Sluggers for their production in the batter’s box in 2024. This marks the third Silver Slugger award for Ohtani, the third for Hernández and Betts’ seventh.
This is how the Silver Sluggers fared throughout the award-winning season:
Shohei Ohtani — Designated Hitter
Ohtani had a flair for breaking Major League Baseball and Dodger franchise records in a historic first season with the Dodgers.
He became the first 50/50 player in MLB history and did it by going 6-for-6 with three home runs, two doubles, 10 RBI, 17 total bases, two stolen bases and four runs in a single game on Sept. 19. His 10 RBI set a Dodger single-game franchise record.
Ohtani also became the fastest player to enter the 40/40 club as he accomplished the feat in 126 games, eclipsing the previous record by 21 games.
He led the National League in home runs (54), runs (134), RBI (130), OBP (.390), slugging (.646) and wRC+ (181).
Ohtani’s best offensive career year came with a series of highs in hits (197), doubles (38), home runs (54), RBI (130), stolen bases (60), batting average (.310). The superstar hit 35 home runs from the leadoff spot in 90 games, while hitting 19 in the №2 spot in 69 games.
Ohtani finished the season with a 12-game hitting streak and went 29-for-53 while slashing .547/.586/1.057/1.643 with seven home runs and 22 RBI in that span.
The Dodgers also came away with the National League team Silver Slugger Award.
The Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Team Award is the top offensive honor in Major League Baseball. The Offensive Team of the Year in the NL and AL are determined by Louisville Slugger’s evaluation of overall team offensive statistics. The Dodgers offense led the squad to their eighth World Championship while leading the National League in various offensive categories, including doubles (291), homers (233), extra-base hits (550), slugging percentage (.446), isolated power or ISO (.189) and OPS (.781).
Teoscar Hernández — Outfield
The veteran slugger set a career high in home runs (33) and walks (53) as a first-year Dodger. He hit primarily out of the №4 spot in the lineup, where he hit 15 long balls and 46 RBI in 74 games. He hit 18 homers and 53 RBI combined when batting second, third, fifth and sixth.
Hernández ranked first among NL outfielders in home runs, RBI (99), OPS (.840), OPS+ (137).
Hernández batted .261 (95-for-364) and clubbed 19 homers in the first half of the season, earning him his second career All-Star selection. He also became the first Dodger to win the Home Run Derby after he blasted 49 home runs through three rounds.
Hernández received recognition during the season for his offensive production when he was named the National League Player of the Week in early June. Hernández first week of June consisted of seven extra-base hits and 10 RBI in six games. He capped off the week with three home runs — one being a grand slam — and nine RBI in a three-game series against the Yankees.
Mookie Betts — Utility
This is Betts’ first Silver Slugger in the utility category. Betts reached the utility status after split the season between second base (16 games), shortstop (64 games) and right field (43 games).
He slashed .304/.405/.488/.892 with 10 home runs and 40 RBI in the first half, before he was sidelined for 45 games due to a fractured left hand in June.
Betts was the Dodgers’ primary leadoff hitter before the injury and he batted .304 (86-for-283) with 10 home runs and 40 RBI in 72 games in that position.
Betts slid into the №2 spot when he returned in mid-August and hit nine homers and 35 RBI in 43 games. He ranked first among the utilityman finalists in OBP (.372), SLG (.491), OPS+ (.863), wRC+ (141) and stolen bases (16).
This is Betts’ fourth Silver Slugger award since joining the Dodgers.
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernández and Mookie Betts collect Silver Slugger Awards was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.