Indians catcher Roberto Perez, if he hasn’t already done it, is going to have to extend his mantelpiece after winning two more defensive awards on Wednesday. Perez not only won Wilson’s Defensive Player of the Year Award for MLB catchers, but he won Wilson’s award for the top defensive player in the game. It has been an amazing offseason for Perez. Last week he won the Fielding Bible Award for MLB catchers for the first time. On Sunday, he was named the Rawlings Gold Glove winner for AL catchers for the first time and Wednesday he swept the Wilson awards.
Carlos Santana became the Indians’ most-consistent hitter. On Thursday, he was rewarded for his efforts with the honor of the American League’s Silver Slugger Award for first basemen.
The Silver Sluggers are voted by coaches and managers throughout Major League Baseball for each position in each league, with the American League giving an award for designated hitters and the National League handing one out to pitchers. All 18 winners each year receive a 3-foot trophy with a silver replica of a Louisville Slugger baseball bat.
Santana more than earned his trophy, setting career-highs in batting average (.281), OPS (.911), runs scored (110), RBIs (93), and bWAR (4.5) to go with 34 home runs and 108 walks. He was, at times, the only bat the Tribe could count on in a lineup that was often spotty, and was even elected to his first All-Star team (held at Cleveland’s Progressive Field) as the AL’s starter at first base.