Orioles Nominate Pete Alonso for 2026 Roberto Clemente Award, Presented by Capital One
The Baltimore Orioles and Major League Baseball today announced that first baseman PETE ALONSO has been named the Orioles’ 2026 nominee for the esteemed Roberto Clemente Award. The most prestigious individual player honor bestowed by MLB, the Roberto Clemente Award, presented by Capital One, is the annual recognition of a Major League player from each club who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions, both on and off the field. This is Alonso’s second nomination for the Roberto Clemente Award, with his first coming in 2021 during his time with the New York Mets.
The Orioles will join Major League Baseball in honoring the 25th annual Roberto Clemente Day on Tuesday, September 15, as they take on the New York Mets at 7:10 p.m. at Citi Field. This commemorative day was established by Major League Baseball in 2002 to honor Clemente’s legacy and to officially acknowledge local club nominees of the Roberto Clemente Award. As part of the league-wide celebration, the Roberto Clemente Day logo will appear on the bases and official dugout lineup cards, all players and on-field personnel will wear a “21” patch on their jersey (with 2026 nominees being notated on their patch), and a special tribute video will be played in ballparks. Once again, this season, each team’s Clemente nominee and previous Award recipients will have the option to wear “21” on their uniform, joining players of Puerto Rican descent and others who have worn the number during previous commemorations of Roberto Clemente Day.
The Orioles will recognize Alonso in a special on-field ceremony at Oriole Park at Camden Yards prior to the game on Friday, September 18, against the Milwaukee Brewers at 7:05 p.m. In addition, Major League Baseball will make a donation to The Alonso Foundation.
From the moment he arrived in Baltimore, Alonso and his wife, Haley, intentionally invested in the city’s people and organizations, directing $10,000 gifts to both the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) and The Baltimore Station, which supports veterans through therapeutic residential treatment and transitional housing, during Spring Training. Alonso paired financial support with personal involvement, visiting BARCS to learn about the non-profit’s efforts and spend time with animals, as well as volunteering alongside residents at The Baltimore Station during the regular season.
These efforts reflect the three focuses of The Alonso Foundation: animal welfare, veterans’ support, and supporting underprivileged youth. Established in 2020 by the Alonsos, The Alonso Foundation advocates for those who may not be able to advocate for themselves. Each year, the foundation supports more than 30 organizations, including the Maryland-based non-profits Fisher House Foundation, Leveling the Playing Field, the Maryland Diaper Bank, and ShareBaby. In addition, Homers for Heroes, a partnership between the TowerCares Foundation and The Alonso Foundation, donates $2,500 for every Alonso home run in support of Maryland veterans and military families. Since the program launched on June 8, more than $57,000 has been directed to veteran-serving organizations throughout the state.
In addition to his foundation work, Alonso is committed to uplifting and celebrating Baltimore youth. Through the Orioles’ Adopt-A-School partnership with Harlem Park Elementary Middle School, he regularly interacts with students and staff, serving as a dependable figure to the Harlem Park community. Whether signing autographs during batting practice or providing children with essential school supplies, Alonso finds many ways to have a consistent, positive impact on their lives. He and Haley will host over 300 Harlem Park students and family members at the Alonso Foundation’s Movie Night at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Thursday, September 17, creating memorable experiences while raising funds to expand the foundation’s work.
Throughout his first season in Baltimore, Alonso has continued to demonstrate that he is more than just an exceptional athlete. Both on and off the field, Alonso is a role model for fans throughout and beyond Birdland. His extraordinary character, sportsmanship, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions are evident in his willingness to lead a young Orioles clubhouse and use his platform to continue to give back, the same qualities that made Roberto Clemente so beloved during his illustrious 18-year career.
The league-wide winner of the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Capital One will be honored at the 2026 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, NBC Sports, Netflix 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/ClementeAward. The site, which features bios of each nominee, allows fans to vote through the end of the season on Sunday, September 27. 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 was created in 1971 as the “Commissioner’s Award,” but was renamed to the “Roberto Clemente Award” in 1973 in honor of the Hall of Famer and 15-time All-Star who died in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.