Yandy Diaz‘s incredible 2023 season ends with him getting a fancy silver bat, as the Tampa Bay Rays’ first baseman earned the American League Silver Slugger for the position as the best offensive player at the position.
Diaz, who won the team’s first American League batting title with a .330 batting average, also added a .410 on-base percentage, tied for third in the league, a .532 slugging percentage, and a career-high 22 home runs and 78 RBI. He defeated Nathan Lowe of the Rangers (a former Ray), Spencer Torkelson of the Tigers, and Triston Casas of the Red Sox.
The 32-year-old is just the fourth Rays player in franchise history to win the award, and the first since Carl Crawford took home the award for an American League outfielder in 2010, his final season with the team. Other Rays winners were Evan Longoria in 2009 and Carlos Pena in 2007.
Isaac Paredes, a finalist at both third base and utility player, missed out in both categories, with Boston’s Rafael Devers taking home the award at third base and Baltimore shortstop Gunnar Henderson getting the trophy for utility. Randy Arozarena also fell short for the accolade in the outfield, with Luis Robert Jr., Julio Rodriguez, and Kyle Tucker winning the award.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
