Five MLB stars shining off of the diamond
Outside the baselines, Major League Baseball is stepping into its 121st season in stride as the league and its players are taking community initiatives to the next level. Here are five MLB stars to watch this season when they aren’t crushing homers or striking out the side.
Starting on the mound is a flamethrower and former number two overall pick Hunter Greene from the Cincinnati Reds. Besides constantly startling batters with his one-hundred-mile-per-hour fastballs, Greene shines through community service. He started giving back as a kid, but when he went pro, he used his platform to help both his birthplace and his new Cincinnati home. Shortly after getting drafted, he started a free baseball clinic in his home state California, called the Hunter Greene Baseball Fest. The winners of the camp’s skills competition received a free glove customized by Greene himself and a $500 shopping spree at Adidas. He has consistently hosted similar events and donated baseball equipment during his minor league career and into the majors.
“I always wanted to give back as soon as I could. Once I got the platform to do that and the experience and the connections with other players and coaches coming out to help me, I jumped on it real fast,” said Hunter Greene on the Hunter Greene Baseball Fest.
Greene recently established a scholarship fund for underserved Black students to attend his prep school alma mater Notre Dame High School.
“I wanted to create an opportunity for a lot of these amazing students that come here. I went to Notre Dame High School, I know the opportunities that were given to me. There [are] the right people here that care about students’ growth — not just as a student, but as a person.”
In relief is Nationals’ 2023 all-star right-hander Josiah Gray, who is the ambassador for Nationals Baseball Academy which gives underserved youth access to baseball. In this role, his goal is to be an inspiration for DC’s Black youth in baseball and give them equal access to the sport he loves. The number of American Black players has decreased substantially and Gray aims to increase this number through the academy.
“It’s always something I’ve wanted to do in terms of baseball, just because I know my love of the game and I think it can be passed on to the next generation. It’s always been important for me to be able to express that love for the game and hopefully impact some kids in the game of baseball, getting more African Americans in the game.”
One way he has done this is through creating his own annual event called Glow & Throw with Jojo, where he played a fun, glow-in-the-dark version of baseball with kids in the program.
Although Tampa Bay Rays’ lefty ace and two-time all-star Shane McClanahan is missing the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery, his impact will still be felt outside the stadium. Every offseason, McClanahan (whose mother taught special education) volunteers with Buddy Baseball, a local non-profit organization giving kids who are differently abled the chance to hit home runs like the big leaguers in a non-competitive league. Last season, he caught up with Buddy Baseball teams at home games, which brought a smile to his face and theirs.
“I am always glad to see them and I love giving home runs up to those guys,” said Shane McClanahan on his connection with the kids involved with Buddy Baseball.
In the previous season, the lefty partnered with local coffee shop Kahwa Coffee to make a personalized latte with proceeds going to Buddy Baseball and used his platform to get the MLB to match Kahwa’s donation.
Leading off is Houston Astros World Series champion and MVP (as a rookie!) at shortstop Jeremy Peña. The Gold Glover has always celebrated kids in the Houston area. For every Friday home game, Peña chooses children from Houston elementary school students to come to the game with their teachers and meet him on the field during batting practice. There, he gives the kids his white cleats, which they customize with Sharpies and give back to him before he laces them up on the field. This tradition is called Peña’s Pals and to be selected, the kids need to have high moral character and good grades. Last season, one of the groups he invited were students from Uvalde, Texas, which was where a tragic school shooting took place at Robb Elementary.
“I look forward to Fridays and meeting a new group of people, but this group is special. They’re the definition of grit, and resilience. I think they’ve had a bigger impact on me today than I have on them. These kids have gone through so much and all we can do is show a little support.”
Last, but certainly not least, at cleanup is the Toronto Blue Jays’ home run-hitting first baseman and designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Already a gold glover, silver slugger, Home Run Derby Champion and three-time all-star at 25, Guerrero has proved himself as a face of the league. Guerrero Jr.’s service is inspired by his father, Dominican Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero who always gave back to his home country throughout his career. Last year, Guerrero Jr. started his VG27 Foundation which aims to improve food insecurity and access to healthcare in the Dominican Republic. One of their main service events was on Christmas Eve when Guerrero Jr. and his family donated holiday meals to more than 1,000 Dominican families. He also celebrated Three Kings Day, a Latin American holiday, by showing up to donate new toys for over 500 kids in his home country.
“It’s very emotional for me. I feel very grateful to do this, and I learned that from my dad. Since I was a kid, he would do that all the time to help kids, help other people, help the community. I want to follow in his footsteps. There is nothing more satisfying than, every 24th of December, to give something to kids who don’t have anything. When we give something to a kid, it’s a feeling that I cannot describe… When I was younger, it was a blessing. Because of my dad, we celebrated Christmas with everything, a lot of food, and lots of toys. I think that’s the reason I am like that with kids in my community. When I give a gift to one kid, it feels like my dad giving a gift to me. It’s a blessing.”
Guerrero Jr. has addressed healthcare disparities by funding free doctor visits to his hometown who come from the capital city Santo Domingo and give residents rare access to vaccines and prescription medications.
As a league, the MLB has made a valiant effort to support any charitable cause that it crosses paths with through its MLB Together programming. In addition to their yearly community celebration days that show up on TV, the league started a new tradition this year. Around Juneteenth, they will be hosting a special regular season game at the Rickwood Field, a Negro League field that is the oldest professional ballpark in the country. Their goal is to celebrate the contributions of the Negro League and its players, including Willie Mays who will provide special insights into the game on the broadcast.
Similarly to Athletes for Hope, their featured initiative is Mental Health & Well-Being. The league partnered with the Crisis Text Line allowing people in need to ask for help by texting ‘MLB’ to 741741. They also joined forces with Everfi to create a free mental health curriculum for students across the country.
Every year, MLB Together celebrates players who go above and beyond to empower their communities by nominating them to receive the Roberto Clemente Award named after the community service trailblazer and Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente.
The majority of the nominees tend to be established veterans with cemented, long-standing charitable foundations. However, these five players were nominees this past year, while being in their mid-20s and also dominating at the highest level.
This lineup is excellent on and off the field, displaying the power of using your platform athletes have to make positive change wherever they are in their careers. We wish all 30 MLB teams a happy Opening Day and cannot wait to watch players across the league excel in service to their communities and beyond!