Every year, Major League Baseball (MLB) awards the best offensive talent in each of the two leagues with the Hank Aaron Award. The award is named after baseball icon Hank Aaron, who was the game’s all-time home run leader until 2007. So, who were the winners of the MLB Hank Aaron Award in 2023? Let’s take a look at the two winners.
Related: Who were the AL & NL Comeback Players of the Year in 2023?
American League
Former Angel SP/DH Shohei Ohtani won the AL Hank Aaron Award for the 2023 campaign.
Even though Ohtani missed nearly the entire final month of the 2023 season, the two-way sensation’s name was littered across the AL statistical leaderboard.
Ohtani finished first in the American League in home runs (44), OBP (.412), SLG (.654), OPS (1.066), and total bases (325). He also finished first in total extra-base hits (78).
Ohtani followed in the footsteps of the 2022 AL Hank Aaron Award winner Aaron Judge, who also won the MVP reward. The 29-year-old Ohtani is no longer in the American League after he signed a 10-year deal with the Dodgers in December.
National League
Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. was the recipient of the 2023 NL Hank Aaron Award, a year after 2022 NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt won the honor.
The 25-year-old won the award named after Braves legend Hank Aaron after a historic campaign. Acuna hit .337/.416/.596 with an NL-high 1.012 OPS, and MLB highs in runs scored (149) and hits (217).
Acuna also became the fifth member of the 40-40 club, as the Braves star hit 41 home runs and stole a league-high 73 bases.
Ohtani and Acuna Jr. did very well during the award season, as the two won Silver Slugger awards this past year. Not to mention, both 2023 MLB Hank Aaron Award winners also won their league’s respective MVP reward.