Bryce Harper Wins Another Deserved Individual Award
Bryce Harper is the NL’s Hank Aaron Award winner, and now he’s a Silver Slugger, too.
The Phillies release:
Phillies right fielder Bryce Harper has been named a 2021 recipient of the Silver Slugger Award, given annually to the top offensive players at each position and voted on by managers and coaches.
“This award is a credit to the staff and the players around me,” said Harper. “To be in the same company with so many other great hitters is an honor and something I’m truly proud of.”
For Harper, 29, this is his second career Silver Slugger Award, having previously won in 2015. He slashed .309/.429/.615 in 599 plate appearances over 141 games for the Phillies this season. With 101 runs, 100 walks, 42 doubles and 35 home runs, he became just the fourth outfielder in the history of Major League Baseball with 100 runs, 100 walks, 40 doubles and 35 home runs in a season, joining Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds and Stan Musial.
“There is no one more deserving of a Silver Slugger Award than Bryce,” said Phillies Manager Joe Girardi. “His numbers this past season invoked some of the greatest names to ever play this game. I see firsthand how incredibly hard Bryce works all year long, and his dedication pays off in moments like this when he is recognized with a Silver Slugger Award.”
Harper led the majors in slugging percentage, OPS (1.044) and OPS+ (179) and he led the National League in doubles, extra-base hits (78) and Win Probability Added (4.74). Harper and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. were the only two players in MLB this season to post a .300/.400/.600 slash line as Harper became just the fourth Phillies player since 1900 to do so, joining Ryan Howard, Chuck Klein and Lefty O’Doul.
In addition to receiving the Silver Slugger Award, Harper is a National League MVP finalist and a 2021 All-MLB First-Team finalist, and he was selected by fans and a panel of Hall of Fame players as the 2021 NL recipient of the Hank Aaron Award. Further, Harper was selected by the Major League Baseball Players Association as NL Outstanding Player of the Year, as voted on by his fellow players. Harper was also named a 2021 Stan Musial Award winner by the St. Louis Sports Commission in celebration of the year’s greatest moments of sportsmanship and those in sports who embody class and character.
Harper is the first Phillies outfielder to win a Silver Slugger Award since Bobby Abreu in 2004.
MVP next? That will be announced next week.