Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award
The Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award is an award bestowed by Major League Baseball on the best designated hitter in the major leagues. From the award's creation in 1973 until 2019, this is effect meant only the American League, but in 2020, a "universal DH" was adopted as part of the special rules mandated by the Coronavirus pandemic and a player from the National League won the award for the first time. This was made permanent in 2022 with the adoption of the DH by the senior circuit. The award was given its current name in 2004, following the retirement of Edgar Martinez, a future Hall of Famer who had been the best player at the position for over a decade.
Interestly, award winners have often differed from the winners of the Silver Slugger Award for DH, instituted in 1980, even though a player's contribution at the position is exclusively with the bat. This is because this award also recognizes contributions linked to leadership and not simply offensive production.
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