Romy Gonzalez has been one of the biggest surprises on the Boston Red Sox roster — and maybe even in MLB, as a whole — in recent seasons. The waiver-wire pickup been so successful at the plate that some fans may be shocked that he isn't featured among this year's American League Silver Slugger finalists.
Gonzalez slashed .305/.343/.483 with an .826 OPS as the Sox's surprisingly-dominant utility player this year. Even so, the AL Silver Slugger finalists in the utility category are Maikel Garcia of the Kansas City Royals, Zach McKinstry of the Detroit Tigers and Ben Rice of the New York Yankees.
Gonzalez posted better offensive numbers than all three of the finalists — Garcia slashed .286/.351/.449/.800, McKinstry batted .259/.333/.438/.771 and Rice slashed .255/.337/.499/.836 — but the rules robbed him of his well-deserved spot among them. To qualify for the Silver Slugger award, players must log at least 100 games that season. Unfortunately, Gonzalez's season ended just four games shy of the qualification mark.
Had he played those four more games, Gonzalez would be an easy finalist for the utility award. Voters could've been less inclined to give him the win since his season is so much shorter than the rest of the finalists, who all played at least 138 games, but Gonzalez's high average and OPS could have given him a real chance.
Red Sox's Romy Gonzalez didn't qualify for Silver Slugger recognition as a utility player despite excellent season
Even if Gonzalez's 2025 season won't be recognized with a Silver Slugger trophy, he was one of the more memorable players on this year's Red Sox squad. Not only did he step up to play 58 games at first base in Triston Casas' absence after Abraham Toro had been designated for assignment, Boston used one of Gonzalez's quotes as a team rallying cry. During a torrid streak at the plate over the summer, the infielder told reporters that he felt "tremendously locked in," and his body of work proved it.
The White Sox, the team that drafted Gonzalez, placed him on waivers after he slashed .222/.239/.361 over 86 games from 2021-23. The Red Sox picked him up and helped him transform his career, and he's slashing .290/.329/.457 since he arrived in Boston. He's helped the Sox'd heavily left-handed batting order succeed against lefty pitchers with his .331/.378/.600 slash line and .978 OPS against southpaws in 2025.
Gonzalez isn't eligible for Silver Slugger recognition this season, but he's earned the trust of Red Sox management and, potentially, more playing time in 2026. If Gonzalez keeps hitting with the same pace he did in 2025, he's a lock for the utility Silver Slugger as soon as he passes the 100 game threshold.
The winners will be selected from the group of finalists, as determined by a survey of MLB managers and coaches. The results will be announced exclusively onThe Baseball Insiders live stream on YouTube, and on FanSided.com. The National League show will take place at 6:00 PM EST on Nov. 6, followed by the American League show the following night at 6:00 PM EST on Nov. 7.