4 forgotten Silver Slugger winners in Baltimore Orioles history

Looking through the history of the Baltimore Orioles, Cal Ripken Jr. is almost certainly the first player who comes to mind when talking about the team's most prominent hitters. Of course, the Orioles have seen some notorious sluggers take a pit stop in Baltimore--Jim Thome's brief run in 2012 comes to mind--but Ripken would be the guess of many when talking about Orioles players who have won the Silver Slugger award presented by Louisville Slugger.

Between 1983 and 1994, Ripken was named the Silver Slugger for American League shortstops every year except 1987, 1990, and 1992. No Orioles fan can forget that fact, but there are some previous Orioles' Silver Sluggers who may have slipped out of mind.

Here are some Orioles Silver Slugger winners fans may have forgotten about

Mark Trumbo, 2016

Mark Trumbo is one of those names baseball fans can point to as a guy who routinely hit 20+ home runs in a season. The last four seasons of Trumbo's career were spent in Baltimore, and as pitchers trended more toward velocity, it seemed that he was being aged out of the game. That said, in 2016, backed by his 47 home runs, Trumbo earned Silver Slugger honors as an outfielder.

J.J. Hardy, 2013

Offense wasn't the calling card for former Orioles' shortstop J.J. Hardy, who was easily one of the best defensive shortstops of his time. However, even a player like Hardy is capable of a season that no one can quite explain. That was his 2013 season, as he hit 25 home runs with a wRC+ of 99 and was named the Silver Slugger for American League shortstops.

Melvin Mora, 2004

Melvin Mora was an anchor at third base for the Orioles during the 2000s, but his offense never quite lived up to expectations set during the early years of his career. Considering how his game aged with the Orioles, fans may have forgotten the three-year run between 2003 and 2005, where he was one of the best offensive third basemen in the American League. In 2004, More posted a wRC+ of 159 with 27 home runs.

Mickey Tettleton, 1989

Mickey Tettleton was one of the best offensive catchers of his time, so it's not a complete surprise that he won the Silver Slugger, but fans may not have realized it was with the Orioles in 1989. A season where Tettleton had 26 home runs with a wRC+ of 147.