In a remarkable turnaround from a disappointing previous season, George Springer of the Toronto Blue Jays has been awarded the Silver Slugger Award for the 2025 season, earning the honor in the American League as a designated hitter (DH). This accolade marks a significant achievement for the 36-year-old outfielder/designated hitter, who previously experienced career lows during the 2024 season.
Springer's resurgence in 2025 saw him achieve an impressive slash line of .309/.399/.560, leading to a .959 OPS that ranked him second in the American League, just behind the prominent slugger Aaron Judge. This accolade comes one year after his lackluster performance in 2024, where he posted career lows, finishing with a disappointing .220/.303/.371 slash line.
This season will be particularly memorable for Springer due to his critical seventh-inning home run during Game 7 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS). Additionally, he emerged as the power source for the Blue Jays, leading the team with 32 home runs during the regular season. This Silver Slugger award represents the third time Springer has received this recognition, with his last award being in 2019 while he played for the Houston Astros.
Although he has spent the majority of his career as an outfielder, Springer spent a greater portion of the 2025 season as a designated hitter, starting in 80 games at DH compared to only 51 in the field. He humorously referred to this role as that of an "offensive player," highlighting his overall contributions, which included stealing 18 bases across the season.
Other notable Toronto Blue Jays players, Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., were also recognized in their respective positions as finalists for the Silver Slugger Award. Bichette, aged 27, led Major League Baseball with 181 hits before his season was cut short due to a knee sprain suffered on September 6. Despite the early end to his season, he still managed to finish with a .311 batting average, 18 home runs, and 94 RBIs, alongside a robust total of 44 doubles.
This upcoming offseason marks a significant milestone for Bichette as he will enter free agency for the first time in his major-league career. Despite his exceptional performance, he has yet to win a Silver Slugger Award.
Guerrero Jr., despite a less-than-stellar season by his standards, maintained a solid .292/.381/.467 slash line over the course of 156 games while hitting 23 home runs and driving in 84 runs. He is a previous Silver Slugger winner, having earned the honor at first base in 2021 and 2024.
In addition to individual accolades, the Blue Jays were in contention for the team Silver Slugger award. As a collective unit, Toronto ranked fourth in Major League Baseball for total runs scored with 798 and boasted a wRC+ (Weighted Runs Created Plus) of 112 during the regular season. In the postseason, they led all teams with a remarkable 105 runs scored, 23 runs ahead of the second-placed Los Angeles Dodgers. Notably, the Dodgers triumphed over the Blue Jays in a thrilling seven-game World Series.
The selection of Silver Slugger winners is determined by a vote comprised of all 30 major league managers and an additional three coaches from each team.
