Silver Slugger snubs: Freeman beats Alonso, Acuna over Marte, Soto
Baseball's top offensive players at each position in the American League and National League were honored with Silver Slugger Awards on Thursday. However, a bunch of stars didn't take home any hardware despite monster seasons.
The following three players are the most glaring snubs for awards that are voted on by major-league mangers and coaches.
Freeman wins over Alonso
New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso got robbed. The star rookie's 53 home runs this season were more than anybody in the majors and more than any first-year player in league history. Alonso was better than Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman in multiple offensive categories including round-trippers, slugging percentage, wRC+, and WAR, according to FanGraphs. The Mets slugger also collected 11 more extra-base hits than the 10-year veteran. Freeman is a sensational big leaguer, but Alonso had a better 2019 campaign and deserved the Silver Slugger honor.
| Player | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | WAR | WRC+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freddie Freeman | 38 | 121 | .295 | .938 | 4.0 | 138 |
| Pete Alonso | 53 | 120 | .260 | .941 | 4.8 | 143 |
Acuna gets nod over Marte
Ronald Acuna Jr. was the sexy pick for the award, but not the most deserving. The 21-year-old phenom wowed all year long with his chase for a 40-40 season before falling short by three stolen bases. However, Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks was a superior offensive player. The 26-year-old slashed .329/.389/.592, which makes Acuna's .280/.365/.518 slash line look pedestrian. Marte also posted a 7.1 WAR and put up 77 extra-base hits, while Acuna finished with a 5.6 WAR and 65 extra-base hits.
| Player | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | WAR | WRC+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ronald Acuna Jr. | 41 | 101 | .280 | .883 | 5.6 | 126 |
| Ketel Marte | 32 | 97 | .329 | .981 | 7.1 | 150 |
Soto could've won too
If not Marte, then why not Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto? The 21-year-old Dominican was also worthy of a Silver Slugger. Soto had a better on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and wRC+ than Acuna. His 35.9 offensive rating topped the Braves star's 33.0 mark, according to FanGraphs. Soto also had superior discipline in the batter's box with a 16.4% walk rate and a 20.0% strikeout clip. Acuna, meanwhile, posted a 10.6% walk rate while striking out 26.3% of the time.
| Player | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | WAR | WRC+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ronald Acuna Jr. | 41 | 101 | .280 | .883 | 5.6 | 126 |
| Juan Soto | 34 | 110 | .282 | .949 | 4.8 | 142 |