Mike Trout Named Angels Nominee For the 2024 Roberto Clemente Award

Major League Baseball announced that Mike Trout was named the Angels 2024 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, baseball's most prestigious individual honor for Major Leaguers.

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. Trout is one of the 30 Club nominees for the annual award. During his tenure, Trout has gone above and beyond in his commitment to baseball fans both on and off the field.

As an Ambassador for MLB Together, Trout joins other MLB players to make important societal contributions through the power of partnership and community. He is also involved with American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and is very passionate about meeting military personnel who serve our country, as well as visiting kids in local hospitals. As a father of two young boys, Trout can empathize with parents as they watch their child undergo treatment or face tragedies and setbacks. His presence organically creates an atmosphere of support during the visits.

Over the years, Trout has also made time to grant wishes through Angels Baseball Foundation, as well as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, making each wish a special moment that they can cherish forever. Some recent standout interactions include playing catch with Samuel, a 15-year old patient from South Carolina with a brain tumor, and spending time with 9-year old Colston from Las Vegas who visited Angel Stadium before starting his cancer treatment. An especially inspiring relationship developed when he met Atticus, a 17-year old cancer patient during one of his routine hospital visits. Trout invited Atticus to the stadium for a special birthday party, in which Atticus got a first hand look at batting practice, as well as an experience to hit in the indoor cages and receive a big birthday celebration with Trout's fellow teammates Logan O'Hoppe, Zach Neto, Hunter Strickland and Patrick Sandoval, making it a birthday that Atticus will never forget.

For patients all across the country who can't make it to the stadium, Trout has recorded countless video messages to encourage children as they battle illnesses and setbacks. He ensures that his support for these children in their biggest time of need expands beyond the local community.

Philanthropic work is not just an individual effort for Trout, but something he and his family value deeply. For several years, Trout and his wife Jessica have been involved with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) as benefactors for the organization to raise awareness for suicide prevention. These efforts are very personal for the Trouts after losing Jessica's brother Aaron Cox to suicide in 2018. The stigma surrounding mental health makes it hard for people to speak up, and the Trouts, together with AFSP, believe that open conversation can save lives.

The couple has also been working with Tiny Turnip, an apparel company, to lead an initiative called "Your Game Isn't Over Yet;" The design consists of a baseball and glove in the shape of the semicolon ";" the symbol for suicide prevention. Just as the semicolon represents when an author could have ended a sentence but decided to continue the sentence instead, Trout's suicide prevention campaign seeks to empower those who are struggling with suicidal thoughts or behaviors to know that "Your Game Isn't Over Yet;" Stitches on the baseball are words of encouragement. A new design unveiled last year features a "home plate" filled with names of those who are "missing" from our lives due to suicide. This plate stands as a reminder that support is all around, and help is available for anyone struggling. All proceeds benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

For his Roberto Clemente Award nomination, Trout has chosen JR98 to be the recipient MLB Charities' donation. JR98 was founded by Toni, Anthony and Carlos Ramirez after Tampa Bay Rays bullpen catcher Jean Ramirez died by suicide in 2022. The organization focuses on mental health and suicide prevention through education and community service.

The Angels will honor Trout and Roberto Clemente Day during a pre-game celebration on Sunday, September 15th when they play the Houston Astros.

Sunday, September 15th marks the annual Roberto Clemente Day, which was established by Major League Baseball to honor Clemente's legacy as a humanitarian and to 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 on Roberto Clemente Day 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 2024 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 and TBS), MLB.com, the National Baseball Hall of Fame, as well as Roberto's children, Enrique, Luis and Roberto Clemente, Jr. Beginning today, fans can 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 29th. 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.