Most surprising Silver Slugger winner in Baltimore Orioles history

Oh yeah, I forgot about him.
Baltimore Orioles DH Aubrey Huff
Baltimore Orioles DH Aubrey Huff | Doug Pensinger/GettyImages

Since 1980, the Silver Slugger Award has been bestowed upon some of the greatest hitters the game has ever seen. The Baltimore Orioles have had no shortage of Silver Slugger Award-winners, including Hall of Famers Eddie Murray and Cal Ripken Jr., as well as current young guns Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson.

But not every Orioles player who's taken home the coveted hardware has done so in convincing fashion. It's easy to forget that players like Melvin Mora (2004), Mark Trumbo (2016), and even Anthony Santander (2024) earned a Silver Slugger Award during their tenure in Baltimore.

But few O's fans probably remember Aubrey Huff's offensive explosion in 2008 that resulted in his first, and only, Silver Sluuger Award. Huff speny parts of three seasons in Charm City, but his 32-home run performance in 2008 was one of the best years of his care

Aubrey Huff is the most surprising Silver Slugger winner in Baltimore Orioles history

Huff was 13-year veteran of the big leauges, who spent time with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, and Detroit Tigers. Huff's best season, however, came in an Orioles uniform when he posted a .304/.360/.552 slash line with 32 round-trippers and 108 RBI.

Huff won the Silver Slugger Award that year over the likes of Hall of Famers Jim Thome and David Ortiz, but it was former All-Star Milton Bradley who arguably has the biggest grounds for complaint. Whlie Huff's line was impressive, Bradley had the highest batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage among all American League DH's that season. So why didn't the Texas Rangers slugger take home the trophy?

Honestly, it was the counting stats that derailed Bradley's chance to win the 2008 Silver Slugger. A former All-Star, Bradley only played in 126 games, about 30 less than Huff that season. As such, Huff had 10 more home runs than Bradley and an additional 40 RBI.

While today's ballot might favor Bradley, Huff's name is the one that adorns the 2008 Silver Slugger Award. His is arguably the most surprising in Orioles history.

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