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Trout And Neto Named Silver Slugger Finalists
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- Trout And Neto Named Silver Slugger Finalists
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Los Angeles Angels ' outfielder Mike Trout is such a surefire Hall of Famer that it wouldn't be surprising if his bust hasn't already been cast and is just waiting patiently in a storage closet in Cooperstown, NY, until the day five years after he retires that the doors of the Hall will officially open to him.
That doesn't mean he can't add a few more superlatives to his plaque before then.
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His latest chance was revealed on Thursday when MLB announced the finalists for the 2026 Silver Slugger Awards and Trout's name was listed among nine American League outfielders who are eligible for the 2026 award at the position.
Since their debut in 1980, the Silver Sluggers have been handed out to the best hitter at each position in American and National Leagues annually and are voted on by MLB managers and coaches, who are not allowed to vote for players on their own teams.
If Trout were to win, it would be his 10th Silver Slugger - including five straight from 2012-16, three more in a row from 2018-20 and another in 2022 - which would tie him for second-most all-time with Mike Piazza and Alex Rodriguez and leave him two behind Barry Bonds' all-time record of 12.
Trout is definitely a deserving nominee this year. After a string of injury-plagued seasons from 2021-24, Trout reached his goal of appearing in 140 or more game this year with a final total of 142.
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He also regained his All-Star form - making his 12th All-Star Game appearance - as he finished the season with a .242 average and .803 OPS with 26 doubles, 22 home runs, 54 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. That was good enough for a 4.1 WAR, his highest since 2022, and 131 OPS+.
In an effort to maintain his health and play out the final four years of his contract, Trout, who will be 35 next season, has said he would welcome a move from center to leftfield in 2027 if it was in the Angels' best interests.
Trout is competing against the following outfielders - with three awards handed out - for the Silver Slugger: Wilyer Abreu, Randy Arozarena, Cody Bellinger, Jac Caglianone, Chase DeLauter, Riley Greene, Tristan Peters and Chandler Simpson.
While Trout is looking to add to his Silver Slugger trophy case, Angels' shortstop Zach Neto is looking to nab his first one as he was joined by Kevin McGonigle and Bobby Witt Jr. on the nominee list.
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Neto, whose name has come up in trade rumors this fall, has definitely earned the attention from other teams and the Silver Slugger nominating committee based on a 2026 season that saw him total career highs in runs (102, 5th in the AL), home runs (27), RBIs (77) and triples (5, 6th in AL) while adding 34 doubles (7th in AL) and 24 stolen bases (8th in AL).
He also proved extremely durable with a career-best 157 games played and 704 plate appearance (2nd in AL). All of that resulted in a 5.2 WAR (10th in AL) that was just a tick off of 2025's 5.3.
The Silver Slugger winners will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 17.
