Players, managers and executives receive their fair share of recognition each season. But what about the fans?
The most important part of the game -- you -- should be cheered, too. That is why Major League Baseball has stepped up to the plate to honor the inaugural MLB Fans of the Year presented by Esurance.
Nominees from all 30 Major League clubs will be featured on MLB.com/awards through Monday at 2 p.m. ET -- with winners to be unveiled an hour later at 3 p.m.
Vote NOW for the MLB Braves Fan of the Year presented by Esurance
Winners whose clubs reach the League Championship Series or Fall Classic will receive tickets to root for the home team on a late-October night. As for the top fans whose teams fall short of the sport's semifinals? Have no fear, as there's always next year (and free tickets to an April 2017 game of their choice).
Major League Baseball and the 30 clubs worked tirelessly to identify the sport's top supporters. But after great debate, the following Braves fans were chosen among a long list of deserving candidates:
Nikki Hobus: An original member of #BravesFam, Hobus hosts tailgates at Turner Field and bakes cookies for fans, players and gameday staff.
Jose Rodriguez: Rodriguez has seen the Braves in person multiple times this season despite residing in New York, and he frequently tweets during games.
Jonathan Howard: A season-ticket holder since 2012, Howard has attended more than 50 Braves games this year -- including two on the road.
Alex Gould: Gould is easily recognizable among Braves fans for his enthusiastic in-game dancing and regular participation on Braves Snapchat.
The MLB Fans of the Year presented by Esurance program represents the "first inning" of the Esurance MLB Awards, which honor greatness in Major League Baseball and serve as the grand finale of the game's awards season. Esurance MLB Awards voting will run from 4 p.m. ET on Sept. 19 to 2 p.m. ET on Nov. 11 and include nominees in 19 categories -- from Best Major Leaguer to Best Social Media Post to Best MLB Interview.
Media, front-office personnel, retired MLB players, the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) and fans will determine the most #AwardWorthy players and moments from 2016. The MLB Awards winners will be announced Friday, Nov. 18, live on MLB.com and MLB Network.