Brewers Nominate Christian Yelich for the 2026 Roberto Clemente Award Presented by Capital One
Yelich Receives Second Nomination for Clemente Award in Past Three Years
MILWAUKEE – Major League Baseball today announced that Christian Yelich has been named the Brewers 2026 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Capital One, one of baseball’s most prestigious individual honors acknowledging community and philanthropic commitment. This is Yelich’s second time receiving the honor with his first nomination in 2023.
The Roberto Clemente Award is the annual recognition of a player from each MLB Club 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.
Tomorrow, September 15, celebrates the 25th annual Roberto Clemente Day, which was established by Major League Baseball to honor Clemente’s legacy 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 Roberto will be shown in all MLB ballparks as well as on MLB Network, MLB.com, Club sites and MLB Social Media Platforms.
Tomorrow night, as the Brewers play in Pittsburgh, players and coaching staff will wear a #21 tribute patch. Yelich, along with Brewers players Jackson Chourio, William Contreras, Sal Frelick, Luis Lara, Gary Sánchez, Abner Uribe and Andrew Vaughn, along with members of the Brewers coaching and support staff, including Christian Correa, Néstor Corredor, Daniel de Mondesert, Guillermo Martínez and Juan Sandoval will replace their uniform number with #21.
“I’m incredibly honored to be the Brewers Roberto Clemente Award nominee,” said Yelich. “Roberto’s legacy extends far beyond the game, and the impact he made through service continues to inspire players across baseball. Milwaukee has given so much to me and my family, and I’m grateful for every opportunity to give back to a community that means so much to us.”
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 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 http://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 27. 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 in tribute to Clemente following his passing.
Throughout Yelich’s career, service to military members and veterans have always been a priority. His younger brother served in the United States Marine Corps, which inspired Yelich to use his platform to recognize and support the brave men and women who continuously make sacrifices for our country.
Yelich and his family annually organize and host the Christian Yelich Home Plate Charity Concert which raises funds to support military veterans, youth baseball, local non-profits and community programs in Greater Milwaukee, including Brewers Community Foundation (BCF). Through his support of BCF, Yelich helps strengthen community programs focused on health, education, recreation and basic needs for children and families throughout the Milwaukee area as well as Wisconsin.
The same spirit extends to his teammates and the broader baseball community. After a devastating earthquake impacted Venezuela earlier this June, Yelich supported his Latin American teammates as they used their platforms to raise awareness and provide assistance to the people of Venezuela. He took part in a donation drive and offered help to support disaster relief efforts. By standing alongside his teammates and supporting their efforts, he demonstrates the respect, unity and compassion that extends beyond the clubhouse and into the communities his teammates call home.
The Milwaukee Brewers are honored to nominate Christian Yelich for the Roberto Clemente Award to celebrate his excellence on the field, character off the field, service to others and commitment to making his community a better place. His influence extends well beyond the baseball diamond, and his willingness to use that influence for the benefit of others has made a meaningful and lasting impact.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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