Hank Aaron Award Winners for 2021

There are batting champs, but that only measures averages and home run champs, determined by power. The Hank Aaron Award, established in 1999, but receiving more attention these days, is a better barometer of "best overall offensive player." Your 2021 winners are:


Bryce Harper, seen here rounding 3rd and heading home after an August 12th home run... and Vladimir Guerrero Junior chatting with Jean Segura before the Blue Jays/Phillies game in Dunedin on May 15th.


In winning the Award for the second time (after earning it with the 2015 Nats), Harper led MLB with a .615 slugging percentage and a 1.044 OPS while batting .309. Tack on 35 home runs and a best-in-the-majors 42 doubles. Talk about "putting a team on his back," Harper did his best work during August and September, slashing .330/.458/.736 with 19 homers, 21 doubles, 46 RBIs and 48 walks in his final 58 games as the Phillies battled for a postseason spot until the season's final week.

How's this for an argument in Guerrero's favor: This 22-year old tied Royals catcher Salvador Perez for the Major League lead with 48 home runs, while leading the AL in on-base percentage (.401) and slugging (.601). No player scored more runs (123) or amassed total bases (363) than the namesake son of the Hall of Famer. 
And I loved this, as posted on MLB.com: he hit well in all three parks the Blue Jays called home in 2021. He had 11 homers and a 1.418 OPS over 21 games at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, 10 homers and a 1.180 OPS over 23 games at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, and 10 homers and a .935 OPS after they returned to Rogers Centre in Toronto.

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