Complete history of Cincinnati Reds' Silver Slugger winners

When the Silver Slugger Award was first bestowed in 1980, the primary members of the Big Red Machine were mostly gone. It was the beginning of a fallow decade for the club, but individual players continued to rise to the fore.

In fact, the 1980s saw the Reds earn at least one Silver Slugger in all but two years of the decade. Since then, Cincinnati has been the home of solitary stars and blips on the power radar. Here is the full history of Reds Silver Slugger winners.

Complete history of Cincinnati Reds' Silver Slugger winners

Big Red Machine Leftovers

By 1980, Joe Morgan, Pete Rose, and other stars had found their way out of Cincinnati, but two significant members of the Reds’ dynasty remained. Dave Concepción, who spent his entire 19-year career with the Reds, took home the award at shortstop in 1981 and 1982. Already 33 by the time of his first award, Concepción lacked the pure power and speed that had brought him success in the 1970s, but he could still hit, batting .306 and leading the team with 28 doubles. Outfielder George Foster did Concepción one better that season by smashing 22 home runs and producing a team-best 90 RBIs, which earned him his lone Silver Slugger Award.

Dave Parker had a resurgence in the mid-1980s with his hometown team. In 1985, he hit a career-high 34 home runs and led the NL with 125 RBIs. Not only did he win a Silver Slugger for his efforts, but he also placed runner-up in the MVP race. The following season was a marked step back in terms of production – his OPS fell by more than 100 points – but Parker snagged a second Silver Slugger regardless.

Eric Davis and Barry Larkin Feel the Need for Speed

As the 1980s came to a close, the Reds’ identity shifted. Outfielder Eric Davis brought a signature blend of power and speed to produce the club’s first 30-30 season with 37 home runs and 50 stolen bases in 1987. He didn’t quite match the feat in 1989, when he won his second Silver Slugger, by hitting 34 homers and stealing only 21 bases.

In spite of Davis’s flash and pop, Barry Larkin stole the show in this era. He snatched up nine of the 12 awards given to shortstops between 1988 and 1999; his nine Silver Sluggers ranks behind Barry Bonds, Mike Piazza, and Alex Rodriguez for most in baseball history, and he leads all shortstops. During the span, Larkin also took home an MVP Award in 1995 and produced the second 30-30 season in franchise history in 1996.

Surprise Silver Sluggers in the 21st Century

In the new millennium, no single player has dominated the Silver Slugger Awards as Larkin did for more than a decade. Felipe López enjoyed a career year at shortstop in 2005 with his 23 homers and five triples helping him to the award. Second baseman Brandon Phillips, a fan favorite, finally got some national recognition in 2011, his only season with a batting average in the .300s. Jay Bruce seemed like the future of the franchise with back-to-back awards in 2012 and 2013, but by 2014, his average had sunk to the low .200s.

In this decade, the Reds have enjoyed two Silver Sluggers, though neither remained in Cincinnati for long. Nick Castellanos won the award (and a $100 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies) after his breakout season in 2021, and Brandon Drury captured the inaugural utility player Silver Slugger in 2022 while splitting time between Cincinnati and San Diego.

Surprisingly, none of the standout stars of recent history, like Joey Votto or Adam Dunn, have taken home a Silver Slugger for the Reds. Elly De La Cruz could certainly have a shot one of these years, and a new crew of sluggers is on the way. If the Reds play up to their potential under Terry Francona, the franchise might need to clear some space in its award cabinet.

More Cincinnati Reds News and Rumors