(SportsNetwork.com) – Madison Bumgarner carried the San Francisco Giants to
another World Series title with his work on the mound, but the ace hurler
swings a pretty good bat as well.
The reigning World Series MVP was named baseball’s top hitting pitcher for the
2014 season as Major League Baseball handed out its annual Silver Slugger
Awards on Wednesday.
Bumgarner, who hit .258 with four home runs in 66 at-bats, was joined by
teammate and batterymate Buster Posey on a National League list that also
includes MVP finalists Andrew McCutchen and Giancarlo Stanton.
All three American League MVP nominees also received Silver Sluggers, with Los
Angeles of Anaheim star Mike Trout and Cleveland’s Michael Brantley comprising
two of the three outfielders and Detroit’s Victor Martinez taking home the
honor at designated hitter.
Bumgarner was one of eight first-time winners, a list that also includes
Stanton, Brantley and Indians teammate Yan Gomes, Chicago White Sox rookie
first baseman Jose Abreu, Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve,
Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Neil Walker and Washington Nationals third
baseman Anthony Rendon.
Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre captured his fourth career Silver
Slugger — and first since 2011 — after hitting .324 with 19 home runs and 77
RBI.
McCutchen, the 2013 NL MVP and one of two Pirates to be honored, and Trout
were both recipients for a third straight year, as was Nationals shortstop Ian
Desmond.
Trout, who topped the AL with 111 RBI and tied Abreu for third in the league
with 36 homers, and Brantley were named in the outfield alongside Toronto
standout and three-time Silver Slugger winner Jose Bautista.
Posey was selected the NL’s best offensive catcher for a second time in his
career. Others honored for the second time were Chicago White Sox shortstop
Alexei Ramirez, Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and Atlanta
Braves outfielder Justin Upton.
Martinez also garnered a second career Silver Slugger, with the first coming
as a catcher with the Indians in 2004. The veteran switch-hitter earned this
year’s distinction by finishing second to Altuve (.341) in the AL batting race
with a .335 average and amassing 32 homers and 103 RBI.
Brantley was third in the AL with a .327 average and added 20 homers, 97 RBI
and 23 steals.
Stanton stated his MVP case by topping the NL with 37 home runs and recording
105 RBI, second only to Gonzalez’s MLB-best 116 for the most in the Senior
Circuit. McCutchen’s bid for a second straight MVP award came by finishing
third in the NL in hitting (.314) while swatting 25 homers with 83 RBI.
