NEW YORK, NY — Prior to Game 3 of the 2025 World Series Monday night at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts was recognized and honored for being named the recipient of the 2025 Roberto Clemente Award.
The Roberto Clemente Award, presented by Capital One, “is the annual recognition of a Major League player who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions, both on and off the field,” per Major League Baseball.
“The concept of honoring Major League players for their philanthropic work was created in 1971 as the ‘Commissioner’s Award.’ It was renamed to the ‘Roberto Clemente Award,’ in 1973 to honor the Hall of Famer and 15-time All-Star who died in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.”
Mookie Betts poses for a photo with a family of Roberto Clemente fans at Angel Stadium during the 2025 regular season – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
While the future Cooperstown Hall of Famer Betts, 33, of Nashville, Tennessee, is a three-time World Series champion, currently seeking a fourth as the Dodgers face the Blue Jays in the Fall Classic, an eight-time All-Star, seven-time Silver Slugger, six-time Gold Glover, and the American League MVP in 2018—winning the 2025 Roberto Clemente Award may have topped all of his previous career accomplishments.
“It means a lot,” Betts said in a special press conference Monday afternoon alongside his wife, Brianna, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, and two of the three sons of Roberto Clemente, Luis and Roberto.
“Life is about more than kind of what you do as far as work. It’s about how you affect people. People always remember how you make them feel. So I know we live by that. So when we come across people, we always make ’em smile, do what you can to help them, and the Lord blesses you. So that’s kind of what we care about. We just want to be a good example for all the kids growing up and to know that they can do it, no matter what.”
The Roberto Clemente Award is the annual recognition of a Major League player who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions, both on and off the field – Image Credit: MLB
Here are a few significant contributions that Betts has made to the community across his home state of Tennessee, and in Los Angeles, California where his legacy on and off the diamond continues to be cemented—information courtesy of Major League Baseball.
- Founder of the 5050 Foundation (est. 2021)—dedicated to breaking barriers for underserved youth through four core pillars: mental/emotional health, nutrition, financial literacy, and physical fitness. Additionally, his foundation raised more than $100,000 through community fundraising efforts this March. Mookie partnered with the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation to contribute $160,000 to the Brother Crusade, supporting hunger and homelessness initiatives.
- Betts donated over $30,000 in Nike apparel to victims of the 2025 Los Angeles fires. Mookie and his foundation also helped the Franklin family of Altadena, CA, who lost their home in the Eaton Fire, through financial assistance and recovery resources.
- During the 2024-25 school year, Betts and the 5050 Foundation in partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District launched an academic challenge focused on students in high school athletics. Students competed for best overall grade-point average (team and individual), and most improved GPA (team and individual). Students received recognition at a Dodger game, and winning teams and students received sports equipment.
- Betts partnered with the Obama Foundation to deliver youth sports equipment and fund the Mookie Betts Metro Baseball Tournament in Nashville.
- Betts also founded “Team Mookie” AAU basketball program in his hometown—funding six competitive youth teams, including the 2024 EYBL 16U National Champions.
“Just being recognized for something like this is really cool,” he said. “As a family, we don’t really do a whole lot of things to be recognized for it. We just kind of do it out of the goodness of our hearts.”
Betts, the fourth-ever Dodger to be named the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award—Justin Turner in 2022, Clayton Kershaw in 2012, and Steve Garvey in 1981—will now have No. 21 embroidered on the back of his cap for the remainder of his playing career, as does each Roberto Clemente Award recipient.
“I feel like I’m a part of the Puerto Rican family now,” a laughing Betts said. “Kiké (Hernández) came and said something, (Alex) Cora texted me and said ‘I’m Rican now.’ But being able to put on No. 21 and knowing all that he did and what his family still does is just a blessing.”
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