Two Rays sluggers named Silver Slugger finalists

Junior Caminero and Chandler Simpson of the Tampa Bay Rays have been named finalists for the 2026 American League Silver Slugger Award.

The announcement came from Major League Baseball on November 6, 2026.

Caminero is a finalist at third base.

Simpson is a finalist among outfielders.

Both players are members of the pennant-winning 2026 Rays.

One nomination is widely expected.

The other has baseball fans doing a double take.

Junior Caminero, age 22, is coming off his second consecutive 40+ home run season.

He scored 100 runs and drove in 101 RBI in 2026.

His wRC+ — a stat that measures total offensive production adjusted for ballpark and league — was 148.

That means he was 48 percent better than the league average hitter.

Caminero also led all of MLB in bat speed in 2026, averaging 79.4 miles per hour.

He is already an MVP finalist this season.

The only other finalist at third base in the American League is Miguel Vargas of the Chicago White Sox.

Vargas hit 33 home runs with a 134 wRC+ in 2026.

Those numbers are strong enough to earn recognition.

But by most measures, Caminero is expected to win the award handily.

Chandler Simpson's nomination is the story that has people talking.

Simpson hit zero home runs during the 2026 regular season.

Zero.

If he wins, he would become just the third Silver Slugger in MLB history with no home runs.

The only two players to accomplish that before him are Ozzie Smith in 1987 and Pete Rose in 1981.

Simpson led the American League in batting average in 2026 with .306.

Jac Caglianone of the Kansas City Royals finished second at .289.

Simpson also led all outfielders in stolen bases with 46.

The next closest outfielder was Randy Arozarena of the Seattle Mariners with 26.

By traditional measures, Simpson's season is built entirely on contact and speed.

He does not hit for power.

He does not need to.

His wRC+ for 2026 was 93.

That is seven percent below the league average hitter.

Among the other outfield finalists, that number stands out.

Randy Arozarena posted a 151 wRC+ in 2026, the highest among qualified outfielders.

Riley Greene of the Detroit Tigers had a 136 wRC+.

Chase DeLauter of the Cleveland Guardians finished at 131.

Jac Caglianone posted a 129 wRC+.

Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels, a finalist at age 35, also had a 129 wRC+.

Simpson's 93 wRC+ places him 20th among the group.

That has led some observers to question why he was nominated.

The Silver Slugger Award is voted on by MLB managers and coaches.

Voters are asked to select the best offensive player at each position in each league.

They are not required to consider defensive ability or baserunning.

The award has existed since 1980.

In its history, only two position players have won without hitting a home run.

Simpson could become the third.

The full list of outfield finalists includes nine names.

They are Wilyer Abreu of the Boston Red Sox, Randy Arozarena of the Seattle Mariners, Cody Bellinger of the New York Yankees, Jac Caglianone of the Kansas City Royals, Chase DeLauter of the Cleveland Guardians, Riley Greene of the Detroit Tigers, Tristan Peters of the Chicago White Sox, Chandler Simpson of the Tampa Bay Rays, and Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels.

According to the announcement, Abreu, Arozarena, Caglianone, DeLauter, Peters and Simpson would all be first-time winners if they take the award.

Trout is bidding to become just the third player in MLB history to win ten Silver Slugger Awards.

Only Barry Bonds with 12 and Mike Piazza with 10 have reached that mark.

Dom Canzone of the Seattle Mariners posted a 134 wRC+ in 2026, which would have ranked him among the top outfielders in the league.

He was not nominated.

That omission has also drawn attention.

The Silver Slugger finalists were announced by Major League Baseball on November 6.

The winners will be announced later this month.

For Caminero, the award would cap a season in which he established himself as one of the most feared hitters in the American League.

He hit a home run in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians on October 19, 2026.

That game sent the Rays to the World Series.

Caminero is now an MVP finalist and a Silver Slugger finalist at age 22.

For Simpson, the nomination itself is already a historic achievement.

Whether he wins or not, he has forced a conversation about what the Silver Slugger Award actually measures.

Is it raw power?