Pablo Lopez named Twins' nominee for Roberto Clemente Award

The award is given to the player who best represents baseball, on and off the field.

Minnesota Twins pitcher Pablo Lopez (49) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth inning at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Sept. 5, 2024. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Twins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez was named the team’s nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, baseball’s most prestigious individual honor, Major League Baseball announced Monday.

The Roberto Clemente Award recognizes the player who best represents baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions on and off the field. Each ballclub nominates one player to be considered for the award. 

Since joining the Twins, Lopez has been heavily involved in the Twins Community Fund. This season, Lopez and his wife, Kaylee, started the “Pablo Day” initiative, using his home starts to bring awareness and raise money for three nonprofits close to their hearts: Children’s Minnesota, Ruff Start Rescue and Project Success, a program dedicated to supporting students.

“Pablo Lopez is a clubhouse leader, dominant starting pitcher and fierce competitor on the field, and a community beacon and force for a better tomorrow across Twins Territory,” Twins president and CEO Dave St. Peter said in a statement. “From the moment he joined our organization, Pablo made it clear that charitable involvement off the field was just as important to him as success on it. His embodiment of these values, instilled by his upbringing and in parallel with those exemplified by Roberto Clemente, are why he is so deserving of this award.” 

It's Lopez’s second time being nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award, having also been the Miami Marlins’ nominee in 2022. If Lopez were to bring home the honor, he’d be the fifth Twin to do so, joining Rod Carew (1977), Dave Winfield (1994), Kirby Puckett (1996) and Nelson Cruz (2021). 

On the field, Lopez has a 14-8 record across 28 starts this season, posting a 4.05 earned-run average with 173 strikeouts, a number that ranks 14th in the majors. Lopez has been particularly good of late and had a 1.71 ERA across five starts in the month of August.

The Twins will honor Lopez on Sept. 15 — Roberto Clemente Day — ahead of their home game against the Cincinnati Reds. The league-wide winner of the award will be presented at the World Series by a blue-ribbon panel that includes media members, representatives from the Commissioner’s Office, the Hall of Fame and Clemente’s children.