These are your 2019 Silver Slugger winners

The American League and National League Silver Slugger Awards were announced Thursday, and eight hitters were bestowed with the honor for the first time in their careers, underscoring the incredible young talent in the game today. On the other end of the spectrum, Mike Trout won for the seventh time in nine seasons, and the Red Sox had a pair of third-time winners.

There were also runs that came to an end, including at third base in the NL, where the winner was someone other than Nolan Arenado for the first time since 2014.

The Braves had the most winners of any club, with three, unless you count the Astros, who had two AL winners plus a pitcher who won the NL honor (we'll explain below).

• Past Silver Slugger Award winners

Here's a full list of the 2019 Silver Slugger Award winners:

CATCHER

AL winner: Mitch Garver, Twins (first)

Garver had a tremendous breakout season with a .995 OPS (156 OPS+) and 31 home runs in just 311 at-bats for the Twins. Entering the 2019 campaign, Garver had seven homers in 348 career at-bats between '17 and '18. With Jason Castro on the free-agent market, Minnesota can breathe easier knowing Garver -- who also improved defensively -- is its catcher for the foreseeable future.

NL winner: J.T. Realmuto, Phillies (second)

Make it two straight Silver Slugger Awards for Realmuto, who adds to his trophy shelf after winning an NL Gold Glove Award earlier in the week. The 28-year-old backstop, considered the best all-around catcher in the game, slashed .275/.328/.493 with 25 home runs in 593 plate appearances in his first season with Philadelphia.

FIRST BASE

AL winner: Carlos Santana, Indians (first)

Santana is only getting better with age. The 33-year-old slugger hit .281/.397/.515 for a career-best .911 OPS with a career-high-tying 34 homers in his return to Cleveland after a one-year stint in Philadelphia. Playing at an offense-heavy position, it's not a surprise that this is Santana's first Silver Slugger Award.

NL winner: Freddie Freeman, Braves (first)

Freeman didn't have a Silver Slugger Award going into the 2019 season. Hard to believe, isn't it? He has one now, though, after hitting .295/.389/.549 with a career-best 38 home runs for Atlanta. He adds his first Silver Slugger Award to the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award he won Wednesday.

SECOND BASE

AL winner: DJ LeMahieu, Yankees (first)

He had a batting title on his resume heading into his first season in Yankees pinstripes, but not a Silver Slugger Award. LeMahieu has rectified that situation by turning in a career year at the plate. He slashed .327/.375/.518 (136 OPS+) with a career-best 26 homers and 102 RBIs to help New York reach the AL Championship Series, where he hit a ninth-inning, game-tying home run to keep the Yankees alive in Game 6 against the Astros.

NL winner: Ozzie Albies, Braves (first)

Another first-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Albies led the NL with 189 hits to help Atlanta win its second straight NL East title. He slashed .295/.352/.500 with 43 doubles, eight triples and 24 homers, batting all over manager Brian Snitker's lineup.

THIRD BASE

AL winner: Alex Bregman, Astros (first)

Bregman had already established himself as a star entering the 2019 season, but he took it to another level at the plate, making himself a finalist for the AL MVP Award by posting a 1.105 OPS with 41 home runs and an MLB-leading 119 walks. This Silver Slugger Award is likely the first of many for the 25-year-old.

NL winner: Anthony Rendon, Nationals (second)

For the first time since 2014, a player not named Nolan Arenado has won the Silver Slugger Award at third base in the NL. Rendon was that third baseman in '14, and he is again in '19. Before bursting onto the national stage this October, he added fuel to the already raging debate over whether he or Arenado is the best third baseman in the NL. Rendon posted career highs in all three slash-line categories by hitting .319/.412/.598 with a career-best 34 home runs and 126 RBIs. He led the NL in RBIs and doubles, with 44.

SHORTSTOP

AL winner: Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox (third)

Bogaerts won his first Silver Slugger Award since receiving the honor in back-to-back seasons in 2015 and '16. The '19 campaign was the one Boston had been waiting for, when the 26-year-old shortstop tallied career bests in OPS (.939), doubles (52), home runs (33) and RBIs (117).

NL winner: Trevor Story, Rockies (second)

Story won his second straight Silver Slugger Award after hitting .294/.363/.554 with 35 homers and 23 stolen bases. Just the usual Story -- putting up big numbers while playing great defense at shortstop and showing why he's one of the fastest players in the game on the bases.

OUTFIELD

AL winners

Mike Trout, Angels (seventh)

To no one's surprise, Trout takes home his seventh Silver Slugger Award in nine Major League seasons. The only exceptions being 2011, when he only played in 40 games as a rookie; and '17, when injury limited him to 114 games. Despite missing the last three weeks of the '19 regular season, Trout remains a candidate to win his third AL MVP Award after he led the Majors in on-base percentage (.438), slugging (.645) and OPS+ (185).

George Springer, Astros (second)

Though he was limited to 122 games by injury, Springer put together a career year at the plate, slashing .292/.383/.591 with 39 homers in just 479 at-bats. It's his first Silver Slugger honor since 2017, when he helped lead the Astros to the franchise's first World Series title.

Mookie Betts, Red Sox (third)

Betts' sustained excellence has produced yet another accolade, this one his third Silver Slugger Award. The 2018 AL MVP Award winner posted a .915 OPS with 29 homers and an MLB-leading 135 runs.

NL winners

Cody Bellinger, Dodgers (first)

Bellinger, a finalist for the NL MVP Award, opened the season white-hot, and though he cooled off some later in the year, he still finished with a .305/.406/.629 slash line, 47 homers and an NL-leading 351 total bases.

Christian Yelich, Brewers (third)

Yelich saw his season cut short in September by a right knee injury. But that didn't preclude him from finishing with eye-popping numbers -- the 2018 NL MVP Award winner led the league in batting average (.329) and on-base percentage (.429), while leading the Majors with a .671 slugging percentage and a 1.100 OPS.

Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves (first)

Acuña won the first of what will probably be many Silver Slugger Awards after we got to watch him over a full season for the first time. The 2018 NL Rookie of the Year Award winner became the youngest player to hit 40 or more homers (41) and steal 30 or more bases (37). He posted an .883 OPS as one of the key sluggers who led Atlanta to a second straight NL East championship.

DESIGNATED HITTER

AL winner: Nelson Cruz, Twins (third)

He's an ageless wonder. Cruz was at the heart of a powerhouse Minnesota lineup, putting together a vintage campaign in which he posted a 1.031 OPS and slammed 41 homers -- including the 400th of his career -- in his age-38 season.

PITCHER

NL winner: Zack Greinke, D-backs/Astros (second)

How do you win the NL Silver Slugger Award when you're an AL pitcher? You start the season with the D-backs, hit really well and then get traded to the Astros. Greinke did that, earning his second Silver Slugger by far outdistancing any competition. He hit .280 (14-for-50) with four doubles, a triple and three homers before heading to Houston on July 31. While with the Astros, he picked up where he left off, singling in two Interleague at-bats.