Murphy, Ramos win first career Silver Slugger Awards

By Mark Zuckerman

Nationals

November 10, 2016, 10:35am

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Daniel Murphy and Wilson Ramos each won Silver Slugger Awards this evening, further confirmation of the standout offensive performers the two key members of the Nationals lineup were this season.

It's the first Silver Slugger, awarded to the best offensive player at each position in each league by managers and coaches, for both Murphy and Ramos. And both had air-tight cases to win.

Murphy led all National League second basemen in homers (25), RBIs (104), slugging percentage (.595) and OPS (.990) while trailing league batting champion DJ LeMahieu by only one point with a .347 average. He also tied the Nationals single-season club record with 184 hits and 47 doubles.

Ramos, meanwhile, led all NL catchers in homers (22), slugging percentage (.496) and OPS (.850), while tying Yadier Molina for the best batting average (.307) and Buster Posey for the most RBIs (80). The first-time All-Star, who tore the ACL in his right knee during the final week of the regular season, is now a free agent and facing long odds to return to Washington.

Murphy and Ramos become the eighth and ninth Nationals to win Silver Sluggers since the franchise arrived in D.C. Past winners are: Alfonso Soriano (2006), Ryan Zimmerman (2009-10), Adam LaRoche (2012), Stephen Strasburg (2012), Ian Desmond (2012-14), Anthony Rendon (2014) and Bryce Harper (2015).