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Mets’ Francisco Lindor receives 2026 Roberto Clemente Award

The Mets shortstop accepted the award at World Series Game 3 on October 26, in recognition of his community and charitable work.

NewsJaws DeskEditorial desk

Published 27 Oct 2026, 15:22 GMT2 min read

Francisco Lindor stands before a game at Nationals Park. — Francisco Lindor before a game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., in 2022. File photograph. All-Pro Reels, Francisco Lindor 2022 (cropped) (resized and converted to WebP). CC BY-SA 2.0.Image source Image licence: CC BY-SA 2.0

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New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor received the 2026 Roberto Clemente Award at World Series Game 3 in St. Petersburg, Florida, on October 26, according to the Associated Press. The annual honor recognizes a major league player for community involvement, philanthropy and contributions on and off the field.

Lindor said he and his wife had carried out community work without seeking recognition. ‘We've been doing work without trying to be recognized, and here we are,’ he said at the presentation, according to the Associated Press. He described receiving the award as an honor.

Why Francisco Lindor was selected

The Mets nominated Lindor for his service, education work, youth development and community leadership, Major League Baseball said in its award announcement. MLB cited his support for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, youth baseball events and clinics, and education at Montverde Academy, where he was a student.

MLB said Lindor has donated more than $1 million since 2020 toward Lindor Hall, a two-story middle school building at Montverde Academy with science and technology labs. It also said he established a scholarship fund there and has provided mentorship, career guidance and baseball equipment.

His work also includes support for the SEEN Foundation, a disability advocacy group, according to the Associated Press. MLB said Capital One would donate $100,000 to the foundation in honor of Lindor’s award. The donation gives the recognition a direct benefit for one of the organizations connected to his community work.

The Clemente Award and the Mets

Lindor was chosen from 30 club nominees by a panel that included Commissioner Rob Manfred, members of Roberto Clemente’s family, former players, journalists and a Capital One representative, MLB said. The award is intended to recognize character alongside service and philanthropy, rather than performance on the field alone.

The New York Daily News reported that Lindor had been nominated in each of the previous four years. He is the first Mets player to win since Curtis Granderson in 2016, the newspaper reported, adding another chapter to the club’s history with the award.

The honor began in 1971 as the Commissioner’s Award and was renamed in 1973 for Clemente, the Hall of Famer who died in a plane crash while attempting to deliver relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. Since 2022, winners have been entitled to wear a No. 21 patch on their caps and a No. 21 decal on their helmets for the rest of their careers, MLB reported.