Who were the first players in MLB history to win the Silver Slugger award?

The MLB introduced an award that celebrated the best offensive player at each position, the Silver Slugger Award, in 1980. For decades, the most coveted award a player could win aside from the MVP was the Gold Glove Award. However, players who are gifted on the offensive side of the game were now able to earn recognition, even if they were not the best player in the league.

While he was dominant all over the field, legendary superstar Barry Bonds is the all-time record holder after winning 12 career Silver Slugger Awards. The only other player to win double-digit awards at their position was Mike Piazza, who won 10 as a catcher.

While some of the greatest hitters in the past 30 years have dominated the award, casual baseball fans may not know who won the first Silver Slugger Awards.

The first class of players to win the award featured a healthy mix of future Hall of Famers and players who modern fans may never have heard of. Here is a closer look at the first-ever winners of the Silver Slugger.

First NL Silver Slugger Award winners

The 1980 Silver Slugger class featured some of the best players of their generation, including Mike Schmidt and Keith Hernandez, as well as the potentially forgotten Bob Forsch. Schmidt went on to win the award six times in his career, with Hernandez finishing his career with two.

Position	Player	Team
P	Bob Forch	St. Louis Cardinals
C	Ted Simmons	St. Louis Cardinals
1B	Keith Hernandez	St. Louis Cardinals
2B	Manny Trillo	Philadelphia Phillies
3B	Mike Schmidt	Philadelphia Phillies
SS	Garry Templeton	St. Louis Cardinals
OF	Andre Dawson	Montreal Expos
OF	Dusty Baker	Los Angeles Dodgers
OF	George Hendrick	St. Louis Cardinals

First AL Silver Slugger Award winners

The 1980 American League class featured several Hall of Famers, including Reggie Jackson, George Brett and Robin Yount. However, it was Detroit Tigers catcher Lance Parrish who won the most Silver Sluggers throughout his career compared to the rest of the group.

It may come as a surprise to Kansas City Royals fans, but club icon George Brett only won the Silver Slugger three times. Following the introduction of the Silver Slugger Award in 1980, Brett was named to the All-Star team nine more times.

Position	Player	Team
DH	Reggie Jackson	New York Yankees
C	Lance Parrish	Detroit Tigers
1B	Cecil Cooper	Milwaukee Brewers
2B	Willie Randolph	New York Yankees
3B	George Brett	Kansas City Royals
SS	Robin Yount	Milwaukee Brewers
OF	Al Oliver	Texas Rangers
OF	Ben Oglivie	Milwaukee Brewers
OF	Willie Wilson	Kansas City Royals

This was the only time in the careers of Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ben Oglivie and New York Yankees second baseman Willie Randolph that they won this award.

"As Anthony Volpe pushes to make the Yankees' Opening Day roster, he's cherished the lessons he's received from legend Willie Randolph," The Athletic's Brendan Kuty tweeted.