The Silver Slugger Award is the only objective stats-derived award the team issues. The award is for the player with the highest gross production average (GPA), a metric for measuring a batter's ability to generate runs. The formula for GPA is [(1.8 x OBP + SLG) / 4], where OBP is on-base percentage and SLG is slugging percentage. It is similar to On Base + Slugging (OPS), but it gives 1.8 times more weight to reaching base safely compared to hitting for extra bases. Besides putting greater importance on getting on base, GPA is an easier concept to understand compared to OPS because it can be read just like a batting average. GPA was invented by Minnesotan Aaron Gleeman in 2003.
For the second year in a row the team's Silver Slugger Award recipient is Jimmy Merling. His GPA was .340 in 2015. He led the team in OBP (.451) and SLG (.548). Merling also led the team in total bases (46) and bases on balls (18), among other categories.
A minimum of 58 plate appearances (2.4 PA x 24 team games) was required to qualify for the Silver Slugger Award. Five players qualified: Merling (.340), Travis Bartlett (.332), Trenton Moe (.243), Kevin Hendrickx (.230), and Jon Soto (.194).
Year | Player | GPA |
2015 | Jimmy Merling | .340 |
2014 | Jimmy Merling | .379 |
2013 | Nick Moran | .235 |
2012 | Matt Chruscielski | .275 |
2011 | Bob Eastman | .262 |
2010 | Mike Gerard | .268 |
2009 | Dan Solarz | .262 |
2008 | Nick Koubsky | .248 |
2007 | Steve Halvorson | .277 |