Youngest and oldest Silver Slugger winners in Reds history

The Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Awards have been handed out annually since 1980. The award is traditionally given to the best player at his respective position each year — one in each league.

In 2025, not a single Cincinnati Reds player was among the finalists for the Silver Slugger Awards, though that might change this season with both Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart making a push to among the top-3 at their position.

If Stewart were to take home the trophy this year, he'd be the youngest player (22) in Reds history to do so. The current record-holder is a familiar name throughout Reds Country, and while the oldest player in team history to ever win a Silver Slugger Award might not have the same name recognition, his recent Hall of Fame induction make his résumé hard to ignore.

Who are the youngest and oldest Silver Slugger winners in Reds history?

Barry Larkin, Reds shortstop (1988)

Barry Larkin is a nine-time Silver Slugger Award-winner and took home his first trophy in 1988 after putting together one of the greatest seasons of his Hall of Fame career. Larkin played in 151 games that year and posted a .296/.347/.429 slash line with 12 home runs, 56 RBI, and 40 stolen bases. Perhaps Larkin's most amazing stat that year was the mere 24 times he struck out. That's a minuscule 3.7% K-rate.

Larkin's 1988 Silver Slugger was the first of five straight. Jay Bell (1993) and Wil Cordero (1994) interrupted the streak, but Larkin's MVP performance in 1995 also came with his sixth Silver Slugger Award. He won the award again in 1996, 1998, and 1999.

Dave Parker, Reds outfielder (1986)

The oldest Silver Slugger Award-winner in Reds history is The Cobra. Cincinnati native and 2025 Hall of Fame inductee Dave Parker won the Silver Slugger Award three times during his career — two of those came with his hometown Reds. If the award existed during Parker's prime, it's quite possible he'd have as many as Larkin.

Parker finished in the top-5 for NL MVP five times and won the award in 1978 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1986, at the age of 35, Parker appeared in all 162 games for the Reds while hitting .273/.330/.477 with 31 home runs and 116 RBI. It was the second of his two All-Star seasons in Cincinnati. Parker pummeled a total of 107 homers during his four seasons with the Reds.

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