MLB introduces new award that the Cleveland Guardians have no shot at winning

Major League Baseball is introducing a new team-based award that the Cleveland Guardians have absolutely no shot at winning.

In an attempt to reward the best offensive team in each respective league, Louisville Slugger is presenting a Silver Slugger Team Award. This is an effort to award the team that is the best in the American League and National League based on offensive statistics and fan votes. The fan voting portion of this process will be open from September 25th at noon until October 1st at 11:59 P.M., which just so happens to be the final day of MLB's regular season. The winning team will be announced on November 9th as part of MLB Network's Silver Slugger Award Show.

While there will be plenty of teams that will end up as possible options, with four finalists being named (two from each league) before announcing the winner, the Cleveland Guardians will not be among them. Outside the performances of a couple of players, nothing about this team screams Silver Slugger worthy.

The Guardians are 15th in batting average (.250), 27th in slugging (.381), and 27th in on-base plus slugging (.694). Even though Cleveland is seventh in doubles (273) and sixth in triples (27), they are dead last in home run production with 116 on the year. Their 30th-ranked home run total trails the 29th team (Washington Nationals) by 22. Cleveland's 44.36 at-bats per home home run is almost 10 more than Washington's 36.98. Simply put, this is an offense that lacks power and should not result in any serious consideration for the newly introduced award.

Perhaps in time, the Guardians can feature players in their lineup capable of being capable of quality at-bats that provide power and be considered Silver Slugger worthy besides Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor. Until then, Cleveland will not be in the conversation for this team-based award.