Second-year catcher Alex Avila was rewarded for his breakout season with the bat Wednesday, earning a Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award as the American League's best offensive catcher, after missing out a day earlier on a Gold Glove award, as the AL's best defensive catcher.

Avila hit .295 in 2011 — nearly 70 points higher than a year earlier — finishing with 19 home runs, four triples, 33 doubles and 82 RBI.

One of five first-time honorees in the American League — along with Boston's Adrian Gonzalez and Jacoby Ellsbury, Cleveland's Asdrubal Cabrera and former Tiger Curtis Granderson — Avila is the youngest among the American League honorees at 24.

When the Gold Glove Awards are announced Tuesday night, a pair of second-year Tigers could be among the honorees in the American League: Both center fielder Austin Jackson and catcher Alex Avila were among the finalists at their positions.

For Avila, who was voted in as the AL starting catcher for the All-Star Game, and earned mention as a postseason All-Star by The Sporting News, the competition for the Gold Glove at catcher are Baltimore's Matt Wieters and the Chicago White Sox's A.J. Pierzynski.

Jackson's competitors in center field are Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury and Los Angeles Angels speedster Peter Bourjos.

The 18 Gold Gloves will be handed out in a televised awards show on ESPN2 at 10 p.m. Eastern.

UPDATE: Neither Jackson nor Avila won a Gold Glove. Ellsbury took home the Gold Glove in center, while Wieters won the catcher's Gold Glove.