MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Twins today announced that Major League Baseball has selected the Twins and the Minnesota Twins Community Fund’s “Girls Belong in Baseball” initiative as a finalist for the prestigious Allan H. Selig Award for Philanthropic Excellence, MLB’s highest team honor. Fans can vote online from today (Friday, October 9) through Friday, October 16 at mlbtogether.com/selig to help determine this year’s most distinguished club social impact program.
“Our girls baseball programs empower girls of all ages to find courage, confidence and community by playing the game they love – and knowing their MLB team stands behind their baseball dreams,” said Senior Vice President, Community Engagement Nancy O’Brien. “We are honored to be a finalist for this award, and grateful for the partners who support and elevate our work.”
The Allan H. Selig Award for Philanthropic Excellence, formerly known as the Commissioner’s Award for Philanthropic Excellence, was created in 2010 to recognize the charitable and philanthropic efforts of MLB clubs. This is the third year the Twins have been named a finalist for the Selig Award (also, 2023 and 2024).
Girls Belong in Baseball
The Twins and the Twins Community Fund have set the industry standard for how a Major League Baseball team advocates for girls in baseball. Since the first-ever Twins Girls Baseball Camp in 2019, the Twins’ investment in girls baseball has evolved into a recurring year-round program that includes camp and tournament play each summer, a free clinic series in the fall and free offseason activities. In 2025, the Twins became the first MLB club to field its own team at Baseball For All Nationals, the largest girls baseball tournament in the world. That 14U team had an all-female coaching staff, a first in BFA Nationals’ 10-year history. This year, the Twins sent two squads to BFA Nationals, a 14U team and a 16U team; many of the girls on those teams had participated in the club’s girls baseball camps and clinics.
Alongside the baseball-specific programming, the Twins are working to cultivate a youth sports culture where girls feel safe, supported and seen on the diamond. Efforts include collaborating with local and national organizations that share this vision, and emphasizing female coaching staffs and female clinicians at the club’s girls baseball camps. These collaborations help to empower girls to continue playing baseball as they get older. “Girls belong in baseball” messaging is also amplified across Twins social media, digital and broadcast platforms, and in the “Women in Baseball” mural at Target Field.
More information about the Twins’ commitment to girls baseball can be found at twins.com/girlsbaseball.