Cubs Outfielder Seiya Suzuki Nominated For Silver Slugger Award

A day after learning that Ian Happ won his third straight Gold Glove, his outfield counterpart Seiya Suzuki was announced as a Silver Slugger Award finalist. The Silver Slugger Award is given to each position's best hitter, with one award per league. Jackson Chourio, Teoscar Hernández, Jackson Merrill, and Jurickson Profar were also nominated for the award. 

Suzuki won multiple offensive awards in Japan, and this is now the second nomination he’s received for this award. This was Suzuki’s best offensive season since coming to America, posting 3.6 fWAR and a 138 wRC+. He hit 21 home runs and walked 63 times. His strikeout percentage hit a career-high as well, but when he made contact, the results were more than enough to cancel that out. 

Among qualified hitters on the Cubs, Suzuki led the team in wRC+, ISO, BABIP, slugging, on-base, and batting average. He was easily the Cubs' best hitter and, honestly, is underrated around the game of baseball. This nomination further proves how valuable he is to Craig Counsell's lineup. 

He was near the top of baseball in terms of exit velocity, with a hard-hit rate of 49.2%. He will likely stay in the designated hitter spot next season, giving the Cubs a sure-fire bat near the middle of the lineup. He has some tough competition to win the award, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he brings home some hardware after a fantastic season.