Toronto Blue Jays veteran George Springer put the finishing touch on a spectacular 2025 campaign by earning his third career Silver Slugger Award, this time as a designated hitter in the American League. The 36-year-old slugger, in his fifth season with the Blue Jays, was also nominated as an outfielder but lost that category to Aaron Judge, Riley Greene, and Byron Buxton.
Teammates Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. were also finalists at shortstop and first base, respectively, but did not secure Silver Sluggers this year. Toronto itself was a finalist for the third-ever team Silver Slugger award, ranking fourth in total runs scored (798) and wRC+ (112) during the regular season while leading the postseason in runs (105).
Springer’s 2025 season constituted a remarkable return to form after the lowest offensive output of his career in 2024, when he hit just .220/.303/.371 with 19 home runs. This year, he slashed .309/.399/.560 with a .959 OPS, posting career highs in batting average (.309) and on-base percentage (.399) since his 2019 campaign. His 32 home runs and 84 RBIs were the most he has recorded as a Blue Jay and the highest since 2019.
Primarily used as a designated hitter, Springer started 82 of 140 games at DH and just 51 in the field, allowing him to focus on his offense. He also contributed 18 stolen bases. His performance produced a 166 wRC+, ranking third in Major League Baseball behind Shohei Ohtani (172) and Aaron Judge (204), while his 5.2 fWAR was the second-highest of his 12-season career.
Springer forged a series of high-impact performances for Toronto throughout the season. In July, he hit seven home runs while slashing .371/.451/.640. In August, despite missing games due to injury, he posted a 1.152 OPS with six home runs over 14 games. September saw him hit eight homers while batting .347/.434/.663.
Perhaps most memorably, Springer’s seventh-inning, go-ahead home run in Game 7 of the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners propelled Toronto to its first American League pennant in 32 years, though the Blue Jays ultimately met defeat in the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7.
