Voting is underway through Friday to help decide the overall winner of the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award, which goes to a player who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.
Major League Baseball's 30 nominees (one from each organization) have focused their community work on important issues ranging from awareness and fundraising of childhood cancer and other illnesses, education, outreach to underserved children and communities in the U.S. and abroad, care for veterans and more. Here is the list, with full information on each candidate's community involvement:
Angels:Cameron Maybin
A Boys & Girls Clubs of America alumni, Maybin gives back to youth in big ways, and the Angels wanted him to be their honoree even after his move to the Astros at the Trade Deadline.
Astros:Jose Altuve
In addition to the Altuve who bangs out hit after hit, there's the Altuve who signs autographs faithfully before every game, the Altuve who hosts youth clinics and the Altuve who tirelessly supports kids with cancer.
Athletics:Liam Hendriks
Hendricks' charitable efforts have extended around the globe, including this year's work with Big League Impact and Striking Out Poverty to help end poverty in the Dominican Republic.
Blue Jays:Marcus Stroman
Stroman is devoted to affecting the lives of others while leaving a legacy in communities across Canada, through such means as children's hospital visits, Boys & Girls Club interaction, and speaking at schools.
Braves:Jason Motte
With his "K Cancer" T-shirts widely recognized, Motte's foundation provides care and comfort to those affected by cancer and has raised more than $1.1 million for cancer research, projects and programs.
Brewers:Matt Garza
Garza's outreach focuses on underserved youth, helping those impacted by domestic violence, and former military members.
Cardinals:Adam Wainwright
Wainwright has reached out by providing water solutions to more than 100,000 people in Latin America and Africa, donating $1 million to an athletic complex at his Georgia prep alma mater, making significant contributions to Cardinals Care and creating two foundations.
Cubs:Anthony Rizzo
Diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma at age 18, Rizzo overcame that disease and then became a champion for pediatric cancer patients and their families.
D-backs:Paul Goldschmidt
Goldschmidt supports Phoenix Children's Hospital with a level of volunteerism, leadership and financial commitment that has benefited multiple areas of the hospital for lasting impact.
Dodgers:Justin Turner
Turner commonly makes community appearances on behalf of the Dodgers, and his foundation supports homeless veterans and children battling life-altering illnesses.
Giants:Buster Posey
Posey is arguably the face of MLB when it comes to fighting pediatric cancer. He not only drives substantial funding and awareness, but also provides special experiences for patients and their families.
Indians:Carlos Carrasco
Carrasco has made significant contributions to his struggling native country of Venezuela, such as funding the shipment of medical supplies to hospitals there or donating equipment to youth seeking to follow in his footsteps.
Mariners:Robinson Cano
One of many examples of Cano's impact was when he donated 10 ambulances, purchased in the U.S., to communities in need in the Dominican Republic that did not previously have access to emergency response vehicles.
Marlins:Dee Gordon
After losing his mother to an act of domestic violence when he was a boy, Gordon was inspired to create Flash of Hope in her honor, providing resources to kids who cope with a similar fate.
Mets:T.J. Rivera
The Bronx native overcame his fear of public speaking and then became an inspired force in the community for the Mets, from handing out turkeys to working with Special Olympics and foster children.
Nationals:Ryan Zimmerman
Zimmerman's ziMS Foundation is dedicated to the treatment and ultimate cure of multiple sclerosis, which affected his mother. He also donated $1 million to support his alma mater Virginia's baseball program.
Orioles:Chris Davis
In 2016, Davis and his wife announced a partnership with the University of Maryland Children's Hospital, serving as ambassadors in helping to raise awareness for childhood illnesses.
Padres:Hunter Renfroe
Delivering toys to students enrolled at a school serving homeless youth, participating in baseball clinics for underserved kids, supporting Boys & Girls Club youths and military families, and personal visits to a children's hospital are just some of Renfroe's selfless acts.
Phillies:Cameron Rupp
The catcher uses his platform to bring awareness to the many animals in need, supporting the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA), and Rupp also is active in fighting ALS and helping Philadelphia's disaster preparedness.
Pirates:Josh Harrison
Harrison's "Blessings in a Backpack" initiative mobilizes communities, individuals and resources to provide food on the weekends for elementary school children across America who might otherwise go hungry.
Rangers:Cole Hamels
Hamels' foundation has provided more than $3.9 million to support education globally.
Rays:Evan Longoria
Longoria is dedicated to several charities in the Tampa Bay region, including Moffitt Cancer Center, the Rays Baseball Foundation and Pet Pal Animal Shelter in St. Petersburg.
Reds:Scooter Gennett
On the same day he tied a Major League record with four home runs in one game, Gennett visited the P&G Cincinnati MLB Youth Academy for the "Baseball Fantasy Camp for Kids" with Miracle League athletes.
Red Sox:Rick Porcello
A fixture in the Boston community from the moment he arrived, Porcello has donated time and money to support the Red Sox, the Red Sox Foundation and his teammates' charitable efforts.
Rockies:Ian Desmond
The five-time Heart and Hustle Award winner is a big supporter of the Children's Tumor Foundation, specifically focusing on neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow along nerve tissue, including the brain and spinal cord.
Royals:Andrew Butera
Many on social media are aware of Butera's interaction with fans and eagerness to promote charity initiatives, such as the case of a boy battling cancer who colored his hair blue and was subsequently invited by Butera to a ballpark VIP experience once discharged from a hospital.
Tigers:Jose Cabrera
The mission of his foundation is to revitalize neighborhood baseball fields and provide academic college scholarships, and its grant recipients have included the Clark Park Coalition and the Miracle League of Michigan in the greater Detroit community.
Twins:Joe Mauer
Among his wide body of community involvement, he and his wife recently donated funds to renovate a sports-themed playroom at Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare Hospital, providing a respite from medical treatment.
White Sox:Jose Abreu
Abreu's Amigos, a community program with the Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago Therapeutic School and Center for Autism Research, seeks to provide opportunities for students with special needs to develop social skills in recreational settings.
Yankees:Brett Gardner
Gardner is an avid supporter of the Ronald McDonald House in both South Carolina and New York. He also tirelessly educates youths about the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs, hosts a Thanksgiving luncheon for active-duty soldiers and more.
"This award represents everything Roberto stood for as a good Samaritan," said MLB goodwill ambassador Vera Clemente, Roberto's wife. "Through the Roberto Clemente Award, today's players are recognized for these same qualities."
Each club nominates one current player to be considered for the Roberto Clemente Award in tribute to Clemente's achievements and character. The Puerto Rico native and Hall of Famer, who spent his entire career with Pittsburgh, died on New Year's Eve 1972 in a plane crash while attempting to deliver relief supplies to Nicaragua following an earthquake.
The Roberto Clemente Award winner will be selected among the group of nominees via a blue ribbon panel that includes individuals connected to the game, including Commissioner Rob Manfred, representatives from MLB-affiliated networks (MLB Network, FOX Sports, ESPN and TBS) and MLB Advanced Media, as well as Vera Clemente.
The winner of the fan balloting will count as one vote among those cast by the blue ribbon panel.