Nathaniel Lowe puts cherry on top of triumphant 2022 with Silver Slugger Award

Talk about icing on the cake. After a break-out 2022 campaign from Texas Rangers’ first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, which saw him slash .302/.358/.851 with a career-high 27 home runs and 76 RBI, the 27-year-old captured one of the American League’s highest honors: a Silver Slugger Award.

Silver Sluggers are awarded to the best hitters at each position in both the American League and National League. Lowe takes home the Silver Slugger at first base in the AL, and becomes the first Texas Ranger to win a Silver Slugger since Adrian Beltre in 2014 and the last first baseman to do so for the team? Mark Teixeira, who went back-to-back in 2004 and 2005.

Nathaniel Lowe wins the 2022 Silver Slugger Award at first base in the American League

After an off-season of rumors regarding Lowe’s status as the first baseman of the future for the Rangers (that even included rumblings of the team pursuing current Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson in a trade), it’s now become clear that Lowe is a core building block for the Rangers going forward. He was arguably the best hitter on the Rangers this season, and produced at a high level consistently, so his Silver Slugger is well deserved.

In a 2022 season that ultimately went awry for Texas, it’s incredibly satisfying to come away with at least some league-wide recognition for one of the key members of this team, though teammates Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and Adolis Garcia all finished as Silver Slugger finalists at their respective positions. Seager was also an AL All-Star in 2022, representing the Rangers with lefty Martin Perez.

With his Silver Slugger in hand, Nathaniel Lowe should begin commanding respect as one of the top first basemen in the American League, if not in all of baseball. And after swinging a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays to acquire him back in December 2020, the Rangers can safely they’ve come out ahead in that one. It sure didn’t look like it at first, but the payoff has been nothing short of rewarding.