White Sox first baseman José Abreu added another award to his large 2020 collection of honors Tuesday. The Sox slugger was named the American League winner of the 2020 Hank Aaron Award, recognizing the most outstanding offensive performer in each league.
Abreu is the first Sox and first Cuban-born player to claim the honor. Only Abreu and Mike Trout have won AL Most Valuable Player, AL Rookie of the Year, Silver Slugger and Hank Aaron honors.
Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman won the Aaron Award honor in the National League.
Abreu batted .317/.370/.617 with 19 home runs and 60 RBI, playing in all 60 games of the abbreviated season in 2020. He led the AL in hits, RBI, slugging percentage, total bases (148) and extra-base hits (34). He was second in home runs, fourth in average, and fifth in OPS (.987).
“It is truly a great honor to receive this award,” Abreu said in a statement released by the Sox. “Not even in my craziest dreams did I think my name one day would be alongside one of the greatest hitters in the history of the sport. That is why getting this Hank Aaron award makes me feel so humbled. I want to thank God, my family, teammates, coaches and everyone that has helped me and supported me.”
Abreu was also chosen as The Sporting News Major League Baseball Player of the Year and Players Choice AL Outstanding Player. He was the only player who finished in the top five in hits, RBI, slugging percentage, extra-base hits, total bases, home runs, average and OPS in the AL.
