Press Release by the Houston Astros
HOUSTON, TX – Louisville Slugger has announced that Jeremy Peña is a finalist for the American League Silver Slugger Award at shortstop.
Established in 1980, the Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Awards honor the top offensive producers at each position in both the American and National Leagues. The winners will be announced at 5 p.m. CT on Nov. 7 on MLB Network.
Peña, 28, is a first-time finalist for the Silver Slugger Award following a season in which he led American League shortstops with a 6.4 WAR (by STATS) and earned his first career All-Star selection. In 125 games this season, he batted .304 (150×493) with 68 runs scored, 30 doubles, two triples, 17 home runs, 62 RBI, 20 stolen bases and an .840 OPS (.363 OBP/.477 SLG). His .304 average ranked fifth among all Major League players.
Among AL shortstops, Peña ranked second in on-base percentage, third in batting average, fourth in slugging percentage, fourth in OPS, fifth in stolen bases, tied for fifth in doubles and tied for fifth in home runs. He was able to rank among the league’s top shortstops despite missing a total of 31 games across two IL stints. Peña’s superb offensive campaign coincided with an early season shift to the leadoff spot of the batting order. His .317 batting average and .372 on-base percentage batting out of the leadoff spot each ranked second in the AL, and he was also tied for fourth in the AL with five leadoff home runs.
Peña is joined by Bo Bichette (TOR) and Bobby Witt Jr. (KC) as finalists for the AL Silver Slugger Award at shortstop. Should he win, he would join Dickie Thon (1983) as the only other player in Astros history to win a Silver Slugger Award at shortstop.