CLEVELAND — The "GOAT" just got some more hardware.
Guardians third baseman José Ramírez won his fourth career American League Silver Slugger Award Thursday, tying Albert Belle for the most in club history. The honor is given to the best offensive player at each position in both the American and National Leagues, with Ramírez beating out three other finalists: Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros, Matt Chapman of the Toronto Blue Jays, and Rafael Devers of the Boston Red Sox.
RELATED: More Guardians coverage from WKYC
On the heels of signing a new seven-year, $141 million contract just before the start of the season, "J-Ram" put together a typically outstanding 2022, batting .280 with 29 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and 6.0 bWAR. He also made his fourth AL All-Star team while leading the junior circuit with 44 doubles and finishing second with a career-high 126 RBIs.
All of this came despite Ramírez tearing a ligament in his right thumb in June, an injury that somewhat hampered his production during the season's final four months (notably his power). The 30-year-old chose to delay surgery until only this week, allowing him to play an important role in Cleveland's surprising AL Central title and run to Game 5 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees.
Since the award's inception in 1980, 18 different Indians/Guardians players have taken home at total of 29 Silver Sluggers, with Belle winning four straight in the outfield from 1993-96. Ramírez is one of six players in franchise history to do it multiple times, previously achieving the honor in 2017, '18, and '20.
Besides Ramírez, Andrés Giménez was one of four AL finalists at second base, but lost out to Houston's Jose Altuve. Ramírez was also nominated for the prestigious Hank Aaron Award given to the best overall offensive player in each league, but that honor went to New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge.
Ramírez's Silver Slugger is just the latest award for the Guardians organization this season, as four players snagged Gold Gloves at their respective positions (Ramírez was a nominee at third base, as well) while team President Chris Antonetti was named Executive of the Year by both MLB and Sporting News. Additionally, outfielder Steven Kwan is a finalist for AL Rookie of the Year, while Terry Francona is up for his third Manager of the Year Award.