Some more on the Silver Sluggers (and Japan All-Star Series update)

It had been six years since a team last had both members of the left side of its infield win Silver Sluggers.

Derek Jeter and everyone's favorite, Alex Rodriguez, accomplished that feat with the Yankees in 2008.

Now Ian Desmond and Anthony Rendon are the newest shortstop/third base combo to take home baseball's top offensive award.

Last night, Desmond won his third straight Silver Slugger Award, presented by Louisville Slugger, putting him in a pretty prestigious club. The only shortstops in major league history to have won three straight Silver Sluggers are Desmond, Jeter, Rodriguez, Barry Larkin and Cal Ripken Jr.

Talk about some impressive company.

Desmond won the Silver Slugger again despite it being a down year for him offensively, in some respects. The 29-year-old had a career-high 183 strikeouts, 38 more than his previous high of 145, which he put up in 2013.

His batting average dipped to .255 this season, down from .280 last year and .292 in 2012. His on-base percentage dropped to .313, 18 points below his mark in 2013. And Desmond's slugging percentage this season was .430, his lowest since 2011.

Despite all that, Desmond still managed to slug 24 home runs, tops among all major league shortstops. His 91 RBIs paced all shortstops, as well.

No National Leaguer played more games at shortstop this season than Desmond, a tribute to his durability, toughness and desire to make an impact every single day.

Desmond also became just the fourth shortstop in major league history to put up at least three 20/20 seasons in his career. Again, impressive stuff.

As for Rendon, well, I think I might have run out of positive things to say about the 24-year-old.

He excelled in pretty much every offensive category this season, and did it all in just his first full big league campaign.

You watch this guy play on an everyday basis and you almost forget that he only made his big league debut last April.

Rendon hit for average (.287), he hit for power (21 home runs), he got on base (176 hits and a .351 on-base percentage), he stole bases (17 in 20 attempts), he scored runs (an NL-best 111), he drove in runs (83) and he showed a tremendous feel for the strike zone (he struck out just 104 times and walked 58).

And he did it all while moving from second base to third base, trying to make sure he played strong and steady defense wherever he was needed.

Believe me when I tell you that it's getting him noticed around the league, too. Rendon is one of the first names out of the mouths of scouts, talent evaluators and coaches of other teams when discussing Nationals players.

Desmond and Rendon both had strong 2014 campaigns offensively, and they're both deserving of their new hardware.

Meanwhile, while Bryce Harper had originally intended to play in the upcoming Japan All-Star Series, a five-game series in Japan between MLB players and Samurai Japan (Japan's National Team), his name is not on the list of players who will make the trip.

The Nationals left fielder apparently will not be participating in the event, after all.

One Nationals player will be a part of the MLB squad, however. Left-hander Jerry Blevins will be a member of the MLB bullpen.

All-Star Series games will be hosted in Osaka (Kyocera Dome), Tokyo (Tokyo Dome) and Sapporo (Sapporo Dome). Two exhibition games will complement the five-game series, with one game in Osaka (Koshien Stadium) and the other in Okinawa (Okinawa Cellular Stadium).

MLB Network will televise each game of the Japan All-Star Series live in the U.S., beginning with the exhibition game on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 4 a.m.