Baseball has gold as in the Gold Glove Award presented by Rawlings. Due to that, Louisville Slugger created the Silver Slugger Award to recognize top offensive players at each position. Since the franchise relocated to Washington, D.C. in 2005, there have been 11 different Washington Nationals players who have combined to win a total of 15 National League Silver Slugger Awards.
Louisville Slugger (created by Hillerich & Bradsby) created the Silver Slugger Award in 1980 to recognize and honor the best offensive producer/hitter at each position in both the American League and the National League. Along with recognizing top players, there is also a top offensive team award. This year, James Wood, CJ Abrams, and the Washington Nationals team are all finalists.
For shortstop, the three finalists are CJ Abrams, Nationals, Elly De La Cruz, Reds, and Otto Lopez, Marlins. For the outfield, the seven finalists for the three awards are Corbin Carroll, D-backs, Jackson Chourio, Brewers, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs, Seiya Suzuki, Cubs, Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres, Jordan Walker, Cardinals, and James Wood, Nationals. The finalists for best teams are the Nationals, Brewers, Cubs, and Dodgers.
- Who Votes: Major League Baseball managers and coaches vote for the players based on offensive performance (such as batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage) alongside overall offensive value.
- The Trophy: Winners receive a three-foot-tall, bat-shaped trophy electroplated with sterling silver.
Here is the text-only chronological history of the Nationals’ Silver Slugger winners across the last two decades:
The Early Era & “Mr. National”
- Alfonso Soriano (2006, Outfield): In his lone, legendary season in Washington, Soriano became the first player in franchise history to join the exclusive 40-40 club, hitting .277 with 46 home runs, 95 RBIs, and 41 stolen bases.
- Ryan Zimmerman (2009 & 2010, Third Base): The face of the franchise captured back-to-back awards during his offensive prime. In 2009, he hit .292 with 33 home runs and 106 RBIs, following it up in 2010 with a .307 average, 25 home runs, and 85 RBIs.
The 2012 Explosion
The Nationals broke out as a team in 2012, winning the NL East, and a franchise-record three different players took home Silver Slugger honors in the same season:
- Ian Desmond (2012, Shortstop): Hit .292 with 25 home runs and 73 RBIs to secure his first award.
- Adam LaRoche (2012, First Base): Provided elite left-handed pop, anchoring the lineup with 33 home runs and 100 RBIs.
- Stephen Strasburg (2012, Pitcher): Showed great prowess at the plate for a pitcher, posting a .277 batting average with a home run and 7 RBIs.
Core Contenders & The Championship Window
- Ian Desmond (2013 & 2014, Shortstop): Desmond secured a historic “three-peat” at shortstop. He hit .280 with 20 homers in 2013 and paired 24 homers with 91 RBIs in 2014.
- Anthony Rendon (2014, Third Base): Broke out alongside Desmond in 2014, hitting .287 with 21 home runs and 111 runs scored. (Note: Rendon also won in 2019, though he finished as an All-MLB first-teamer after the Nats’ World Series run).
- Bryce Harper (2015, Outfield): During his historic NL MVP campaign, Harper was an absolute lock for the award, slashing an incredible .330/.460/.649 with 42 home runs and 99 RBIs.
- Daniel Murphy (2016 & 2017, Second Base): Murphy was a hitting machine after signing with Washington. In 2016, he nearly won the batting title with a .347 average, 25 home runs, and 104 RBIs, repeating as winner in 2017 by hitting .322 with 23 home runs and 93 RBIs.
- Wilson Ramos (2016, Catcher): “The Buffalo” had a career year behind the plate, hitting .307 with 22 home runs and 80 RBIs to win his first Silver Slugger alongside teammate Daniel Murphy.
The Juan Soto Era
- Juan Soto (2020 & 2021, Outfield): Soto dominated the pandemic-shortened 2020 season by winning the NL batting title with a blistering .351 average and a 1.185 OPS. He went back-to-back in 2021 by showcasing elite plate discipline and hitting .313 with 29 home runs and an MLB-leading 145 walks.
The Toboni Times
What CJ Abrams and James Wood accomplished in the 2026 as 30/20 as both reached the 30-home run and 20-stolen base milestone during the 2026 Major League Baseball season.
Key Accomplishments as a Duo
Historic Teammate Milestone: They became the 11th pair of teammates in MLB history to record at least 30 home runs and 20 stolen bases in the same season.
Young Age Record: They are the first teammates aged 25 or younger in MLB history to achieve a 30/20 season together.
Franchise Power: They became the first Washington Nationals duo to hit 30 home runs in the same season since Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto in 2019.
Individual Highlights
- CJ Abrams:
- Finished with 33 home runs, 34 stolen bases, and 106 RBI.
- Joined Bobby Witt Jr. (2024) and Alex Rodriguez (1998) as just the third shortstop in MLB history to record 30+ homers, 30+ steals, and 100+ RBI in a single season.
- Led National League shortstops in home runs, extra-base hits (67), and RBI.
- James Wood:
- Finished with 30 home runs and 20+ stolen bases in his age-24 season.
- Became the first player in MLB history to hit 30 home runs, steal 20 bases, and draw 100+ walks (102) while playing in fewer than 140 games.
- Led NL outfielders in walks and on-base percentage (.388).
What Abrams and Wood did in 2026 was excellent. Imagine what they could do if they put up their first half numbers in both halves of the season? That is the next step as both players were legitimate MVP candidates when they were chosen for the All-Star team.
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