Spencer Strider named Braves’ nominee for Roberto Clemente Award
Braves right-hander Spencer Strider was named the team’s nominee for the 2025 Roberto Clemente Award on Monday morning.
The Roberto Clemente Award is considered the most prestigious individual honor in the sport, given annually to the major leaguer who “best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.” Each team nominates one player for consideration.
Strider and his wife, Maggie, created Foster Family Fridays in 2024, a program that works with the Braves Foundation and Georgia Kids Belong to treat local foster care families to VIP game experiences. MLB acknowledged their efforts in its description about each team’s finalist. The Striders have also set up weekly visits to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in which they’ll often bring teammates to visit with patients.
Since establishing himself in 2022, Strider has been known for his gaudy strikeout totals and advanced approach to the game. Off the field, he’s been an excellent representative for the Braves through his community work and dedication to using his platform to better other lives.
The Clemente Award was named for Pirates’ Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente in 1973, the year after Clemente died in a plane crash while on a mission to deliver relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. Clemente was known as much for his humanitarian efforts as his legendary baseball skill.
Fan voting for the award opened Monday and will be available until the regular season concludes Sept. 28. The fan balloting will count as one vote among the blue-ribbon panel that determines the leaguewide winner.
The panel contains 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, and Clemente’s children, Enrique, Luis and Roberto Clemente Jr., per MLB’s statement.
The winner traditionally is honored during the World Series. The Braves will acknowledge Strider as their nominee during the team’s final homestand, which begins Sept. 22.
Lefty Chris Sale was the Braves’ nominee a year ago. Hall of Famer John Smoltz was the club’s most recent Clemente Award winner, in 2005. Dale Murphy (1988) and Phil Niekro (1980) are the franchise’s other winners.
About the Author
Gabriel Burns is a general assignment reporter and features writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After four years on the Braves beat, he's expanded his horizons and covers all sports. You'll find him writing about MLB, NFL, NBA, college football and other Atlanta-centric happenings.
