Throughout the season so far, Joey Cantillo, hailing from Honolulu, has built a name for himself not only in the Guardians rotation, but also within the Cleveland community to which he has dedicated more than 13 hours of his time away from the ballpark in 2026. During his community engagements, Joey has engaged with more than 1,100 people across 15 different Cleveland events on a personal level, and his support of community programs and financial contributions have touched the lives of many more.
A willingness on Joey’s part to step out of his comfort zone while participating in programs that he is passionate about has been a great asset to the organization and the greater Cleveland community. Whether he’s coaching young players at a youth baseball clinic, helping to beautify the Cleveland shoreline at a beach cleanup, signing free autographs in a booth at the Cleveland Asian Festival or cooking meals for families in need, Joey has participated in everything with enthusiasm and a smile on his face, learning every name, shaking every hand, taking every photo and signing every autograph.
In addition to his presence at events, Joey has been a huge advocate for Cleveland Guardians community programs all year long. On the organization’s biggest night for fundraising of the season, Joey stepped up and supported Cleveland Guardians Charities (CGC) -- the long-term charitable arm for the Guardians organization -- during the Club’s annual Giveathon. Through CGC, the Guardians have been able to support youth baseball, softball and adaptive programs across Northeast Ohio. On the night of the Giveathon, Joey was the first Guardians player to make a donation and get the ball rolling for contributing to the proceeds that will support programs such as the Guardians Nike RBI program, Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s baseball and softball programs. Joey also signed six dozen baseballs used to encourage fans to donate during the Giveathon which directly helped influence more than $7,000 in donations. Thanks to Joey and the efforts of many of the players on the Guardians roster, the Club was able to generate more than $180,000 in donations for Cleveland Guardians Charities.
For those who are lucky enough to know Joey on a personal level, they know that he has several passions outside of baseball, one of those being his love for food. Known in the clubhouse as the guy who loves to try new cuisines and make new dishes, he’s often found encouraging his teammates, friends and family to experience new flavors. Because of this, one priority for Joey this season was to bring this passion and love for food to the greater Cleveland community. So, he decided to take his talents to the Cleveland Ronald McDonald House (RMH) on a regular basis to help prepare and serve meals to the young children and their families staying at the house. Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio seeks to fulfill its mission of providing essential services that remove barriers, strengthen families and promote healing when children need healthcare. Joey has been supporting RMH and its mission all season, and his presence while cooking hot meals for the families has helped bring hope and inspiration to the families and the workers there every single time. As a personal touch, all of the meals he has prepared for RMH this year have been influenced by his upbringing in Hawaii and its cultural background. Joey’s support for the Ronald McDonald House has successfully brought together his passion for food and the Cleveland community in a unique way that allows him to share a piece of himself via the food he’s loved since he was just a kid to the people in his new home in Cleveland, Ohio.
It is because of all of this and more that the Cleveland Guardians organization is excited and proud to nominate Joey Cantillo for the 2026 Roberto Clemente Award.
