2026 Silver Slugger Predictions: Jake Bauers could add another accolade to his post-Guardians career with win

In 2022, Major League Baseball and Louisville Slugger added a utility category to the Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger awards to reward productive offensive players who also handle their business in the batter’s box. 

That change has allowed for hitters like Luis Arraez and Gunnar Henderson to take home Silver Slugger awards while Mookie Betts and Alec Burelson have been among the National League’s Silver Slugger winners as utility players. 

This year’s NL utility category could also serve as the final feather in the cap for former Guardian Jake Bauers, who is a finalist for the award along with the Reds’ Sal Stewart and the Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. 

Jake Bauers is a Silver Slugger finalist for the first time in his career

The Guardians added Bauers to their roster eight years ago as a part of their deal that sent Yandy Díaz to the Rays and Edwin Encarnación to the Mariners. Bauers showed flashes during his time in Cleveland (the highlight was when he hit for the cycle in 2019), but he never put it all together. He ended up spending all of the 2020 season at the team’s alternate site in Lake County, and was traded to the Mariners midway through the 2021 season. 

And it took Bauers two-plus years to make the most of his potential. After bouncing around with the Mariners, Yankees and Reds, Bauers landed with the Brewers in 2024. While he had a productive ‘24 campaign with the Brewers, they still DFA’d him after the season, though he made their roster on Opening Day in 2025. 

He entered 2026 as a key cog on their roster, and finished the year with a .874 OPS with 26 homers and 86 RBI. He won National League Championship Series MVP in the Brewers’ sweep of the Dodgers ahead of their World Series win over the Rays. He also saw time at first base (116 games) and the outfield (46 games), which helped him earn a nod in the utility category. 

That strong season is one of the best walk years in recent memory that helped him earn a four-year deal with the Red Sox. 

But he’ll have some stiff competition in Stewart (who just won NL Rookie of the Year) and Tatis, who is one of baseball’s best sluggers. Stewart finished the year with 32 homers and 112 RBI while playing at first base and third, while Tatis racked up 181 hits with 25 homers and 38 steals while seeing time in right field and second base. 

Tatis has the most name recognition of the three, but Bauers has just as strong of a case given he finished the year 40 points better than Tatis in on-base percentage and slugging. That’s not the end all be all of a Silver Slugger nomination, but it could be the thing that pushes Bauer to the top.

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