Salvador Perez, Bobby Witt Jr. named Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award winners

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez and shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. have been named winners of the 2024 Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award, as announced tonight by Louisville Slugger.

Perez was voted a winner over three other American League finalists at the catcher position: Houston’s Yainer Diaz, Oakland’s Shea Langeliers and Seattle’s Cal Raleigh. This marks Salvy’s fifth career Silver Slugger Award, following 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2021, extending his franchise record, ahead of Hall of Famer George Brett, who won the award three times.

Salvy is the ninth player to win at least five Louisville Silver Slugger Awards as a catcher since the award was established in 1980, joining Mike Piazza (10), Iván Rodríguez (7), Brian McCann (6), Lance Parrish (6), Gary Carter (5), Joe Mauer (5), Jorge Posada (5) and Buster Posey (5).

Perez, who is also a five-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award-winner, is now the second catcher to win five Rawlings Gold Gloves and five Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger awards, joining the Hall of Famer Pudge Rodríguez, who won 13 Gold Gloves and seven Silver Slugger Awards.

Among qualified American League catchers in 2024 (min. 50% games at the position), Perez ranked 1st in RBI (104), on-base percentage (.330), slugging percentage (.456), OPS (.786) and extra-base hits (55), 2nd in batting average (.271) and hits (160) and 3rd in home runs (27).

Salvy’s 104 RBI were the 2nd most ever by a catcher (min. 50% games) in his age-34 season or older, trailing only Carlton Fisk, who had 107 RBI at age 37 in 1985.

Salvy played in 158 games in 2024, the 2nd-highest total of his 13-year career, and made 90 starts behind the plate. His 27 home runs tied for the 2nd-highest total of his career and marked his eighth season with at least 20 HR. Perez ranked 2nd among all Major League players with 29 go-ahead RBI, trailing only Aaron Judge (32).

Witt Jr. is a first-time Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award-winner, after besting two other American League finalists at shortstop: Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson and Texas’ Corey Seager.

Witt Jr. is the first shortstop in Royals history to win a Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award. He led all Major League players in 2024 with a .332 batting average and 211 hits. Among qualified shortstops in the American League, he also ranked 1st in runs (125), RBI (109), on-base percentage (.389), slugging percentage (.588), OPS (.977), extra-base hits (88) and games (161).

Witt Jr. hit 32 home runs (2nd among AL shortstops) and had 30 stolen bases to become the first shortstop in Major League history to record consecutive 30/30 seasons. He also became the second player ever (regardless of position) to lead the Majors in batting average during a 30/30 season, joining Mookie Betts in 2018.

Witt Jr., who also won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award this season for the first time, is now the 13th different shortstop (18th occurrence) to win a Rawlings Gold Glove and a Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award in the same season, and the first since Brandon Crawford in 2015.

This marks the third time in Royals history that they had two Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award winners in the same season, following 1980 (Brett and Willie Wilson) and 1982 (Wilson and Hal McRae). The Royals are one of two American League teams to have multiple winners this season, along with the Yankees.

Including Perez and Witt Jr., the Royals have had 11 players combined for 18 Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Awards.