ANAHEIM – Major League Baseball announced that Zach Neto was named the Angels 2026 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, baseball’s most prestigious individual honor to recognize Major Leaguers for their commitment to the community.
The Roberto Clemente Award is the annual recognition of a Major League player who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.
As part of the annual program, each MLB Club nominates one player to be considered for the league-wide Award in tribute to Clemente’s achievements and character. Neto is one of the 30 Club nominees for the annual award. Since his Major League Baseball debut in 2023, Neto has risen to be one of the leaders in the Angels clubhouse and community, making numerous appearances at various events including speaking at a school assembly at a local elementary school, surprising kindergarten students with a classroom visit that turned into a dance party and providing advice for young players at baseball clinics.
With his father Joaquin a U.S. Navy veteran, service has always run in the family and that legacy has shaped the way Neto has given back to the community and connects with our U.S. service members. For three consecutive years, he has visited the Naval ships at San Pedro Harbor in Los Angeles to understand how crew members live on board while at sea, during Los Angeles Fleet Week. He has also visited other military bases, including a trip in 2024 to the Los Alamitos Joint Training Base, where he met with the servicemen and toured the facility and tried out the Black Hawk Aircrew Trainer flight simulator program. Most recently, he visited NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to experience what life is like on the International Space Station.
In addition to these visitations, Neto has also supported families of fallen service members through the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) and took part in honoring them at Angel Stadium’s Memorial Day recognition.
Neto’s support of the United States servicemen and women also earned him a nomination for the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award for four consecutive seasons starting in 2023. Named after the Hall of Fame pitcher and World War II Veteran, the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award recognizes an active MLB player, Hall of Famer, and a United States Navy Chief Petty Officer for the way they demonstrate support for active-duty service members, veterans and youth enrichment.
In addition to this honor, Neto has also supported local education efforts through the Angels Baseball Foundation’s Adopt-A-School program. Neto has visited multiple schools throughout the community to talk to students about the importance of education, perseverance, and commitment to academics. He has also participated in baseball clinics hosted by the Angels Baseball Foundation, giving young athletes the chance to learn the fundamentals of the game from a professional who was once in their shoes.
In Miami, his connection to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is very personal. Over the years he has raised money through a bowling tournament to support the hospital and the children and family who rely on its care. During the offseason, Neto also makes the time to visit patients at the hospital to provide emotional support and lasting memories.
Whether it’s meeting the men and women who serve this country, teaching kids how to play baseball, or helping pediatric patients fight illnesses in Southern California and in his hometown of Miami Neto is generous with his time and commitment in assisting others.
For his Roberto Clemente Award nomination, Neto has chosen Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital to be the recipient of MLB Charities’ donation.
The Angels will honor Neto and celebrate Roberto Clemente Day during a pregame celebration today. Major League Baseball will also honor Clemente’s legacy as a humanitarian and formally acknowledge 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 and a customized tribute video to Clemente and the 30 Roberto Clemente Award nominees will be shown in all MLB ballparks, as well as on MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.tv, Club sites and MLB Social Media Platforms.
The league-wide winner of the Roberto Clemente Award 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. Fans can now vote for the Roberto Clemente Award via MLBTogether.com/clementeaward (in both English and Spanish). The site, which will feature bios of each of the nominees, will allow fans to vote until the end of the season on Sunday, September 27th. 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.” The recognition was renamed to the “Roberto Clemente Award” in 1973 as tribute to Clemente following his passing while delivering relief supplies for earthquake victims in Nicaragua on December 31, 1972.
In addition, the Angels will celebrate Roberto Clemente Day by hosting the sixth annual Clemente Clinic at Golden West College in Huntington Beach from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. This closed event will introduce the sport of baseball to kids in the community through various skill stations, and to celebrate the life and legacy of Clemente, who was an inspiration to so many players and fans of his era.
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