The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association revealed the 30 preliminary winners of the 2017 Heart and Hustle Award on Tuesday. The honor is the only one voted on by former players, and is bestowed each year upon the active player who most represents a passion for the game of baseball, and best embodies the values, spirit and tradition of the game.
Past winners of the Heart and Hustle Award include David Eckstein (2005), Hall of Famer Craig Biggio (2006, 2007), Player Page for Grady Sizemore (2008), Jose Pujols (2009), Roy Halladay (2010), Torii Hunter (2011), Michael Trout (2012), Dustin Pedroia (2013), Josh Harrison (2014), Anthony Rizzo (2015) and Todd Frazier (2016).
The 30 preliminary winners for 2017 are:
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Baltimore Orioles: Adam Jones
Boston Red Sox: Rick Porcello
Chicago White Sox: Avisail Garcia
Cleveland Indians: Jose Ramirez
Detroit Tigers: Ian Kinsler
Houston Astros: Josh Reddick
Kansas City Royals: Eric Hosmer
Los Angeles Angels: Andrelton Simmons
Minnesota Twins: Byron Buxton
New York Yankees: Brett Gardner
Oakland Athletics: Yonder Alonso
Seattle Mariners: Nelson Cruz
Tampa Bay Rays: Logan Morrison
Texas Rangers: Elvis Andrus
Toronto Blue Jays: Kevin Pillar
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Arizona Diamondbacks: Paul Goldschmidt
Atlanta Braves: Nick Markakis
Chicago Cubs: Kristopher Bryant
Cincinnati Reds: Adam Duvall
Colorado Rockies: Charlie Blackmon
Los Angeles Dodgers: Justin Turner
Miami Marlins: J.T. Realmuto
Milwaukee Brewers: Hernan Perez
New York Mets: Jay Bruce
Philadelphia Phillies: Freddy Galvis
Pittsburgh Pirates: Adam Frazier
San Diego Padres: Clayton Richard
San Francisco Giants: Brandon Crawford
St. Louis Cardinals: Jedd Gyorko
Washington Nationals: Anthony Rendon
"This year's Heart and Hustle Award winners are a true representation of the legacy of the game and the players who have come before them," said Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, president of the MLBPAA. "It is clear that these 30 men chosen all play the game with relentless pursuit."
Voting for the 30 preliminary players took place before the All-Star break. Thirty voting committees were formed, comprised of alumni players with established relations to each team, to select the winners. Each of the winners will be recognized prior to an upcoming home game for their team, beginning with the Braves on Wednesday.
Toward the end of the season, all alumni and active players will vote for a final winner from among the 30 teams. The final winner will be announced on Nov. 14, during the 18th annual Legends for Youth Dinner in New York City.
The Legends for Youth Dinner is the primary fundraiser for the series of free Legends for Youth clinics that are held around the country, which have enabled more than 16,000 kids to learn from and interact with players who have left a lasting impact on the game.