MLBPAA announces team winners of 21st annual Heart and Hustle Award
Colorado Springs, Colo. - The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA) is proud to announce the 30 team winners of the 2026 Heart and Hustle Award. Now in its 21st year, this prestigious honor is presented annually to active players who exemplify a true passion for the game and who best embody the values, spirit and traditions of the game. The Heart and Hustle Award is the only award in Major League Baseball that is voted on by former players. Voting for team winners is conducted prior to the All-Star break.
To determine the winners, the MLBPAA formed 30 committees comprised of alumni players with established relationships to each team. One player from each Major League team is chosen by the committees based on their passion, desire and work ethic demonstrated both on and off the field. At the conclusion of the season, all alumni members and fans will vote to select the final winner from the 30 team winners. The previous overall recipients include: David Eckstein (2005), Craig Biggio (2006, 2007), Grady Sizemore (2008), Albert Pujols (2009), Roy Halladay (2010), Torii Hunter (2011), Mike Trout (2012), Dustin Pedroia (2013), Josh Harrison (2014), Anthony Rizzo (2015), Todd Frazier (2016), Brett Gardner (2017), Mookie Betts (2018), Howie Kendrick (2019), Ozzie Albies (2021), Paul Goldschmidt (2022), Marcus Semien (2023) and Bobby Witt Jr. (2024, 2025).
The 2026 overall Heart and Hustle Award winner will be announced in mid-November on MLB Network.
The 30 individual team winners are as follows:
American League
- Athletics, Shea Langeliers
- Baltimore Orioles, Pete Alonso
- Boston Red Sox, Willson Contreras
- Chicago White Sox, Sam Antonacci
- Cleveland Guardians, José Ramírez
- Detroit Tigers, Dillon Dingler
- Houston Astros, Cam Smith
- Kansas City Royals, Bobby Witt Jr.
- Los Angeles Angels, Mike Trout
- Minnesota Twins, Kody Clemens
- New York Yankees, Paul Goldschmidt
- Seattle Mariners, Luke Raley
- Tampa Bay Rays, Chandler Simpson
- Texas Rangers, Ezequiel Duran
- Toronto Blue Jays, Ernie Clement
National League
- Arizona Diamondbacks, Nolan Arenado
- Atlanta Braves, Mauricio Dubón
- Chicago Cubs, Nico Hoerner
- Cincinnati Reds, Spencer Steer
- Colorado Rockies, Jake McCarthy
- Los Angeles Dodgers, Miguel Rojas
- Miami Marlins, Otto Lopez
- Milwaukee Brewers, Sal Frelick
- New York Mets, Carson Benge
- Philadelphia Phillies, Brandon Marsh
- Pittsburgh Pirates, Jake Mangum
- San Diego Padres, Ty France
- San Francisco Giants, *Luis Arraez**
- St. Louis Cardinals, JJ Wetherholt
- Washington Nationals, Jacob Young
*Luis Arraez remains the San Francisco Giants nominee despite being acquired by a different team after the committee voting was finalized.
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For more information regarding the Heart and Hustle Award, please contact Kendall Meisner, Director of Communications, by e-mail at Kendall@MLBPAA.com.
To learn more about the MLBPAA, please visit www.baseballalumni.com and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram (@MLBPAA). The official hashtag for this award is #HeartandHustle.
About The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA)
Founded in 1982, the MLBPAA's mission is to promote the sport of baseball, raise money for charitable causes, and uphold the dignity of the game through its alumni players. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., the organization has a membership of more than 20,000 former players.