All 30 nominees for the 2023 Roberto Clemente Award were announced by Major League Baseball on MLB Network on Friday. Considered baseball’s most prestigious individual honor for Major Leaguers, the Clemente Award annually recognizes the MLB player who best represents the game through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.
The league-wide winner of the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Capital One will be honored at the 2023 World Series following selection by a blue ribbon panel. This panel includes representatives from the Commissioner’s Office, Capital One, MLB-affiliated networks (MLB Network, FOX Sports, ESPN and TBS), MLB.com, the National Baseball Hall of Fame, as well as Roberto’s children, Enrique, Luis and Roberto Clemente, Jr.
Beginning today, fans can vote for the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Capital One via MLBTogether.com/clemente21 (in both English and Spanish). The site, which will feature bios of each of the nominees, will allow fans to vote until the end of the season on Sunday, Oct. 1. The winner of the fan vote will count as one vote among those cast by the blue-ribbon panel.
The concept of honoring Major League players for their philanthropic work began in 1971 with the creation of the “Commissioner’s Award.” The recognition was renamed the “Roberto Clemente Award” in 1973 as a tribute to Clemente following his passing.
Major League Baseball will join in the celebration of the lives and legacies of Roberto and Vera Clemente in the following ways:
• A customized tribute video to Roberto will be shown in all MLB ballparks as well as on MLB Network, MLB.com, club sites and MLB social media platforms. Additional social media content celebrating Roberto’s legacy in the sport and recognizing the impact of the late Vera Clemente, who served as MLB’s Goodwill Ambassador, will be featured throughout the day. MLB.com and all 30 club sites will feature Roberto Clemente Day and Award stories and content as well.
• Throughout the league, the Roberto Clemente Day presented by Capital One logo will appear on base jewels and official dugout lineup cards.
• As they have done all throughout the 2023 regular season, all active Roberto Clemente Award winners will have the “21” patch on the back of their caps in recognition of their distinction in this special fraternity.
Below is each club’s nominee for the 2023 Roberto Clemente Award.
Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Guerrero recently launched the VG27 Foundation, focusing on supporting education, athletics and healthcare programming in his hometown of Don Gregorio in the Dominican Republic. The Blue Jays superstar is especially passionate about providing healthcare resources to those in need, recently organizing a medical clinic, including free prescriptions and vaccinations, for over 500 community members of all ages.
Orioles: Kyle Gibson
Gibson, whose passion for charitable giving has earned him two previous Clemente Award nominations, got involved in his new community as soon as he signed with the Orioles last winter. Since his move to Baltimore, Gibson has spent time with a different group of community members every homestand, meeting with individuals living with psychiatric conditions, active-duty service members and children dealing with life-threatening illnesses, among others. Gibson also makes a donation to the Maryland Food Bank for every strikeout he records and has inspired teammates to make donations for their own personal milestones, raising tens of thousands of dollars for their own causes.
Rays: Shane McClanahan
Having attended the University of South Florida before being drafted by the Rays, McClanahan has been involved in the Tampa Bay community for years. Inspired to serve children with special needs by his mother, a special education teacher, he became involved with Buddy Baseball, a recreational baseball league for boys and girls ages 8-22 with unique abilities, while still in college, and now helps in hosting the Rays Baseball Magic Clinic, where MLB players and coaches serve Buddy Baseball athletes. The Rays and McClanahan now also hold Magic Monday at the Trop, inviting Buddy Baseball athletes to take the field for batting practice and the national anthem for every Monday home game.
Red Sox: Tanner Houck
Both Houck’s father and stepfather were adopted, but it was his younger sister, Reanna, who became part of the family when Houck was in high school, who inspired him to get involved with children experiencing the trauma and instability of foster care and adoption. Houck created “Pitch for Adoption” back in 2018 to raise money for nonprofits working to provide therapeutic care to children who grew up in situations of abuse and neglect, and he spends time with children in their care to provide additional emotional and moral support as they heal.
Yankees: Aaron Judge
Judge is known for his leadership on the field, but he works to be a responsible community leader, too, giving back to his communities both in the Bronx and in and around his hometown of Linden, Calif. His ALL RISE Foundation, created in 2018, has helped over 2,000 children in those communities through its mini-grant program, paying for registration and transportation to leadership conferences, holding baseball camps and supporting students in becoming responsible citizens through local organizations.
Guardians: José Ramírez
There’s no doubt that Ramírez is the heart and soul of the Guardians. In recent years, Ramírez has carried that heart and soul to his endeavors off the diamond as well, as he recently unveiled José Ramírez Field at Clark Field, which is located in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood, home of the largest Latino population in Ohio. The field will provide a home turf for the nearby Lincoln West High School baseball team, along with the Guardians RBI teams.
Royals: Salvador Perez
On Opening Day 2023, Salvador Perez was named the Royals’ team captain, becoming the fourth player in franchise history to earn the honor. While he’s done more than enough on the field to earn the honor, the 12-year veteran has done his share off the field as well, as he’s partnered with Braden’s Hope for Childhood Cancer, to give and receive inspiration from kids fighting pediatric cancer, along with Kansas City Police Officer Sarah Olsen, who is battling ALS.
Tigers: Miguel Cabrera
For the past 21 years, Miguel Cabrera has been paving a one-of-a-kind MLB career, as well as a legacy that will continue on long after he steps off the diamond. Along with creating the Miguel Cabrera Foundation in 2007 to help provide children from all backgrounds with equal access to education, he and his wife, Rosangel, were very active during the COVID-19 pandemic when they made donations to aid in distributing meals, technological resources, affordable childcare and hospital-grade masks to underserved families.
Twins: Carlos Correa
Last year, Correa made an immense impact with the Twins with the Correa Family Foundation, through which he worked with Children’s Minnesota to provide mental and financial help for children dealing with a pediatric cancer diagnosis. He and his wife, Daniella, have also visited patients at Children’s Minnesota, along with inviting children to Target Field to watch batting practice and meet Correa.
White Sox: Liam Hendriks
What more is there to say about Hendriks? Whether it’s the work he’s done hosting events for hospitalized children and health care workers to the time spent organizing the White Sox’ Pride Night as a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ+ community or the outreach he did while recovering from Stage 4 lymphoma, Hendriks has made outreach part of his identity as a ballplayer. Hendriks, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in January, underwent chemotherapy in the offseason and made his 2023 debut on May 29.
Angels: Mike Trout
Trout is an all-time great on and off the field. Over the years, Trout has participated in scores of charitable events including granting numerous wishes each season through Make-A-Wish. Most recently, Trout spent time with a 7-year old boy named Eli Velasquez, including during batting practice and in the cages, and watching postgame fireworks from the field.
Astros: Jeremy Peña
Peña is not only the 2022 World Series MVP winner, but also a winner throughout the Houston community. At the beginning of 2023, Peña approached the Astros Foundation about a program for underprivileged kids. They worked together to launch Peña’s Pals, which celebrates kids and their development in academics, character building and making healthy choices.
Athletics: Tony Kemp
Kemp has a hand in a number of different initiatives, including the +1 Effect campaign, which aims to combat social injustice through individual conversations, and the Players Alliance, which works to create an inclusive culture within baseball and the community in order to elevate racial equality and provide greater opportunities for the Black community.
Mariners: Marco Gonzales
Now in his seventh season with the team, Gonzales is a leader on and off the field for the Mariners. He and his wife, Monica, have led efforts in the Pacific Northwest to raise awareness and funds to support research for Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), a rare, degenerative neurological disorder that impacted their family in 2016.
Rangers: Jon Gray
Last season, Gray launched the #MissionGrayWolf22 program hosting military groups to three Texas Rangers home games. This year, he is hosting twelve #MissionGrayWolf22 nights for military families across the Texas community. Guests receive complimentary parking, premier seating, $25 cash value for food and beverages, and an inclusive meet and greet with Gray, which includes a question-and-answer segment, autographs and a group photo.
Braves: Matt Olson
Olson became involved in serving people with autism in high school and has remained committed to fundraising for autism awareness and advocacy throughout his Major League career. That involves working to provide inclusive gameday experiences for fans with sensory sensitivities and spending time with young fans affected by other life-altering illnesses. Olson also donates 1% of his salary to the Atlanta Braves Foundation, a donation with which the Braves have created a program for families to enjoy a sensory-friendly, accessible game experience at Truist Park.
Marlins: Jorge Soler
Soler has been heavily involved with the Miami Marlins Foundation since joining the team in 2022, supporting fundraising efforts, attending community events and handing out gifts in Little Havana over the holidays. He has also participated in the Marlins’ Great Minds-Great Athletes panel, speaking to middle and high school students about the importance of prioritizing their mental health while sharing his own experiences and offering advice.
Mets: Francisco Lindor
In addition to generous donations made to assist in recovery efforts in his native Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona, Lindor has a passion for improving access to education. Carrying a strong appreciation for his own experiences as a student, Lindor has worked with his alma mater, Montverde Academy, to fund additions at the school. He was the main donor on the project to build Lindor Hall at Montverde, a middle school building with state-of-the-art resources for students, and also funds a scholarship for students in need of financial assistance.
Nationals: Josiah Gray
Though he only joined the Nationals in 2021, Gray had already become the player ambassador to the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy by 2022, having been inspired by his own formative experiences with youth sports and academic enrichment programs. Gray’s role with Nats Academy sees him leading fundraising efforts, hosting young Scholar Athletes at Nationals Park and acting as a mentor to the program’s participants.
Phillies: Kyle Schwarber
Schwarber, who was raised in a family of first responders, founded Schwarber’s Neighborhood Heroes in 2017 in an effort to give back to those who serve their communities. Since then, hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants have been awarded to nonprofits serving police, fire and military families in each city Schwarber has played in, and since joining the Phillies in 2022, Schwarber and his wife, Paige, have regularly hosted families at Citizens Bank Park for games and events.
Brewers: Christian Yelich
As the brother of a Marine, Yelich has seen firsthand the amount of sacrifice members of the armed forces put forth on a daily basis. He’s shown that respect in his work with the Brewers Community Foundation, as the money he donates is designated for military organizations in the Milwaukee area. This year, Yelich hosted the inaugural Christian Yelich Home Plate Charity Event in Milwaukee, where he raised more than $100k for economically disadvantaged Little League baseball teams in Milwaukee County.
Cardinals: Paul Goldschmidt
Goldschmidt’s been involved with numerous philanthropic efforts from the moment he entered MLB with the D-backs. Instead of starting his own charity, Goldschmidt has been involved with numerous charities, ranging from his work with Big League Impact (Adam Wainwright’s charity) to helping build a community center in the Dominican Republic. Last year, he raised over $50,000 for Habitat for Humanity St. Louis, which provided opportunities for families living in substandard housing.
Cubs: Marcus Stroman
When Stroman was a kid growing up, he was told time and time again that he was too short to play professional baseball. Stroman’s now in his ninth MLB season, and uses those doubts to fuel his philanthropy through the Height Doesn’t Measure Heart foundation, which is built around providing opportunities for young people facing adversity. He also donated 300,000 meals to the New York City Food Bank and Long Island Cares in 2020, and has hosted more than a dozen school groups since joining the Cubs in ‘21.
Pirates: David Bednar
Bednar is a “yinzer” through and through. A native of Pittsburgh, he’s spent the past three seasons living out his childhood dream of playing for the Pirates. He’s carried that passion to his endeavors off the diamond, too, as he partnered with Allegheny Health Network to launch the Chill Mobile, which is a retrofitted RV that offers a calming space for students where they can learn evidence-based coping skills and participate in practical and interactive experiences.
Reds: Hunter Greene
While Greene has been a phenom since high school, he never let the hype go to his head, as he got his start in community service at age 7, when his parents would take him to book and toy drives. That trend of community outreach has followed him into the big leagues through his annual Hunter Greene Baseball Camp, cleat giveaways and visits to high schools to discuss the legacy of Jackie Robinson.
D-backs: Nick Ahmed
Ahmed is known for his slick glove on the field, but off the field, he’s unparalleled. Ahmed and his wife, Amanda, have backed a number of initiatives to help solve food insecurity and poverty in the Phoenix area, including helping the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation and St. Mary’s Food Bank open a food pantry at a school near Chase Field.
Dodgers: Chris Taylor
In 2019, Taylor’s childhood friend Kyle Profilet passed away after a fight with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer in his leg. A year later, Taylor and his wife, Mary, founded the CT3 Foundation, which raises funds for children with cancer and other life-altering conditions and spreads awareness for those vulnerable in Los Angeles and Taylor’s hometown of Virginia Beach, Va.
Giants: Brandon Crawford
A Bay Area native who grew up a Giants fan, Crawford has found a number of ways to give back to the community he was raised in. After learning of fellow Pleasanton, Calif., native Stephen Piscotty’s mom succumbing to ALS, Crawford and his father, Mike, joined the mission to find a cure for ALS. The soft-spoken shortstop has also done work on childhood cancer and education, among other efforts.
Padres: Tim Hill
In 2015, Hill was diagnosed with colon cancer and underwent eight months of chemotherapy before being cleared a year later. Hill has used his “second chance” at life to give back to others, but especially children. Hill has done work with Rady Children’s Hospital, Make-A-Wish and YMCA Mexico, among many others.
Rockies: Kyle Freeland
Freeland has long been one of the Special Olympics of Colorado’s biggest boosters, ever since his days with the Grand Junction Rockies. Over the past few seasons, the southpaw pitcher has held fundraising raffles for special pieces of memorabilia, like Freeland’s exclusively designed practice glove at the end of the season or a pair of his game-worn spikes.
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