With the beginning of the World Series marking the end of the 2022 season, award season has been ushered in ,and the Atlanta Braves are well-represented.
Over the coming days and weeks, many Atlanta Braves will be nominated for – and ultimately win – some of the most illustrious awards in Major League Baseball.
We’ve already seen the first signs of this with Spencer Strider officially winning the Sporting News NL Rookie of the Year award, garnering 47% of the votes from a survey of 212 MLB players. As Braves fans may have expected, Michael Harris II also performed well, garnering 41% of said votes.
Additionally, the MLBPA has nominated its own award finalists based on the voices of the players, which includes four Atlanta Braves:
- Austin Riley for NL Outstanding Player
- Spencer Strider and Michael Harris II for NL Outstanding Rookie
- Ronald Acuña Jr. for NL Comeback Player
Which Atlanta Braves have been nominated for a Silver Slugger Award?
In terms of official, MLB-recognized awards, five Braves have been announced as contenders. This comes just a week after four Braves were nominated for a Gold Glove Award for their defensive excellence. The Silver Slugger Award, however, designates the best hitter in their respective league on a position-by-positon basis.
The fact that the Braves have five nominees is an indication of the strength of their lineup. They are as follows:
- Travis d’Arnaud at catcher
- Matt Olson at first base
- Austin Riley at third base
- Michael Harris in the outfield
- Dansby Swanson at shortstop
No Atlanta Braves paced their position in the important metrics for the Silver Slugger Award like wRC+, wOBA, OPS+, or even RBI. With so many good players in the league, guys like Olson, who had a very solid season, will have a slim chance of winning the award due to competing with MVP candidates like Paul Goldschmidt and Freddie Freeman.
Austin Riley, who led the National League in extra-base hits, total bases, and was 4th in the NL in ISO – isolated power – is the most likely of the Braves group to win the award.
Despite that, every player listed above had a top-3 offensive season by position in the National League, which qualified them for the award. Their seasons were nothing short of spectacular and deserve every bit of the recognition that they are getting with the nomination.
This is also a testament to the almost unbelievable work of the Atlanta Braves’ development staff. The scouting, hitting coach, pitching coach, and analytics team have all had a role to play in these players’ success.
They have two rookies in contention for major honors. They turned d’Arnaud, who had never won a Silver Slugger award in the past, into a two-time nominee and one-time winner. Dansby Swanson, who had struggled to find consistency for so long, managed to piece it all together for an excellent season in totality. Matt Olson, who nearly completely collapsed in early September, fixed his swing and earned himself a nomination.
Keep an eye out in the coming days, weeks, months, and years. The trend of Braves players winning some of the most significant awards in the sport is one that promises to continue.