Arrieta, Rizzo Take Home Silver Slugger Honors

The postseason awards just keep rolling in for the Chicago Cubs, and on Thursday it was Anthony Rizzo and Jake Arrieta that took home hardware for a long season’s worth of work.

The two players each received National League Silver Slugger Awards on Thursday night, making them the first Cubs to achieve that feat since third baseman Aramis Ramirez took home the coveted trophy after the 2011 season.

The Silver Slugger Award, given to the best offensive player at each position, is the first that either Rizzo or Arrieta has earned in their careers, making them the ninth and tenth Cubs players to win the trophy since its inception.

Rizzo, who became just the second Cubs first baseman to win the trophy, had 32 home runs and 109 RBI this season, and he also posted a remarkable .928 OPS as he helped pace a Cubs offense that was one of the most balanced and powerful in the league.

As for Arrieta, he is also the second pitcher to win the trophy in a Cubs uniform, as he joins Carlos Zambrano in that exclusive club. Arrieta had four extra base hits this season, including a pair of home runs, and his hot hitting even carried over into the postseason as he blasted a home run in Game 3 of the NLDS against Madison Bumgarner and the San Francisco Giants.

Surprisingly, Kris Bryant’s season was not good enough to earn him Silver Slugger honors at third base. That honor instead went to Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado, who also won Gold Glove honors at the position earlier this week.

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