Yankees' Judge wins Roberto Clemente Award for community work

New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge won the 2023 Roberto Clemente Award, Major League Baseball announced Monday.

The award, named for the Hall of Fame outfielder who died in a 1972 plane crash while on a humanitarian mission to Nicaragua, is considered one of the most prestigious honors in baseball. It is given to the player "who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions, both on and off the field."

A panel of voters that included representatives from MLB, the Hall of Fame, and Clemente's three children, selected Judge as the winner from a group of 30 nominees, one from each team.

The Yankees' captain started the All Rise Foundation in 2018. His foundation works with children and youth to inspire them towards becoming responsible citizens through activities such as its aspiring leaders program. The All Rise Foundation has supported over 2,000 youths in the Bronx, as well as San Joaquin County and Fresno County in his native California.

His foundation also works with 26 different community-based organizations by offering mini-grants. This year, the All Rise Foundation supported Bridge2College and the New York City Autism Charter Schools.

Judge has also partnered with the #ICanHelp campaign that works to combat toxic behavior online through the spreading of positivity.

Judge is the fourth Yankees player to win the award, joining Ron Guidry (1984), Don Baylor (1985), and Derek Jeter (2009).

Originally drafted by the Yankees in 2013, Judge has become the face of the franchise and one of the most popular players in all of baseball during his eight-year career. The 31-year-old won his first AL MVP last season after hitting a Junior Circuit-record 62 home runs.

Judge hit .267/.406/.613 with 37 homers and 75 RBIs in 2023 despite missing a significant chunk of the season with a toe injury.