Two Detroit Tigers in Riley Greene and Zach Mckinstry are among the finalists for the Silver Slugger award. The Silver Slugger Award is given annually to the top offensive player at each position in each league. The voting is conducted by MLB managers and three coaches from each team; managers and coaches may not vote for players on their own team.
The ballots are based on a combination of offensive stats: batting average, on-base percentage (OBP), slugging percentage (SLG), OPS/OPS+, home runs, RBI, total bases, runs scored, and also “general impressions” of a player’s overall offensive value.
Thus, while raw numbers matter, voters also weigh things like situational hitting, leading the lineup, consistency, and maybe even how well a player contributed in key moments. In case you were curious, the last Tigers player to win the Silver Slugger was Miguel Cabrera in 2016.
Greene had a strong offensive year in 2025: he finished the regular season batting .258 with an OPS of .806.He slugged 36 home runs and drove in 111 RBI, both were career highs, and he has the most home runs in a season that was drafted by the Tigers since the MLB Draft started in 1965.
On the advanced side, his Statcast metrics show an average exit velocity of about 90.1 mph, a “Hard Hit %” around 45.8 %, and a barrel rate of ~17.1% In effect: Greene is among the more fearsome hitters in the AL, especially in the power/RBI department. His counting stats (HR, RBI) bolster his Silver Slugger candidacy.
One possible drag: his batting average (.258) is not elite, and while his OPS (.806) is very good, some top hitters will post OPS well over .900. Still, for an outfielder, especially one playing for a playoff team like the Tigers posting 30-plus homers and 100+ RBI in 2025 gives him a strong shot.
Zach McKinstry
McKinstry is a finalist in the utility category, given that he played all around the diamond this season.
He hit 12 home runs and recorded 49 RBI as per his full-season numbers. On the advanced metrics side: his barrel rate is only ~6.1%, average exit velocity ~85.7 mph, hard-hit % ~30.5%.
What this suggests: McKinstry is not a traditional slugger in terms of elite power, but his value as a utility (multi-position) asset and his above-average offensive production for that role make him stand out.
In a category where versatility is key, his nomination makes sense. For him to win the award, he’ll likely need to show that his offensive contributions outpaced other utility candidates, which includes Maikel Garcia of Kansas City and Ben Rice of the Yankees.
