The Baltimore Orioles and Major League Baseball today announced that infielder JORDAN WESTBURG has been named the Orioles’ 2025 nominee for the esteemed Roberto Clemente Award. The most prominent individual player award bestowed by MLB, the Roberto Clemente Award, presented by Capital One, is the annual recognition of a Major League player from each club who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions, both on and off the field.
The Orioles will join Major League Baseball in honoring the 24th annual Roberto Clemente Day on Monday, September 15, as they take on the Chicago White Sox at 7:40 p.m. ET at Rate Field. This commemorative day was established by Major League Baseball to honor Clemente’s legacy and to officially acknowledge local club nominees of the Roberto Clemente Award. As part of the league-wide celebration, the Roberto Clemente Day logo will appear on the bases and official dugout lineup cards, all players will wear a “21” patch on their jersey (with 2025 nominees being notated on their patch), and a special tribute video will be played in ballparks. Once again this season, each team’s Clemente nominee will wear ”21” on their uniform, joining players and uniformed personnel from Puerto Rico, previous nominees, and those who have worn “21” on prior Roberto Clemente Days.
The Orioles will recognize Westburg in a special on-field ceremony at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Saturday, September 20, against the New York Yankees. In addition, Major League Baseball will make a donation to a charity of Westburg’s choice.
Since making his major league debut in 2023, Westburg has showcased all the qualities that the Roberto Clemente award was created to honor. Westburg’s leadership extends beyond the diamond and into the Orioles clubhouse, where his values and integrity set the tone. During Spring Training, he helped organize and lead team-wide Bible study sessions, creating an inclusive and encouraging space for teammates to grow in their faith and support one another in their spiritual journey.
Westburg is also active in the greater Baltimore community, which included his volunteer work at several non-profits during the Orioles’ 2025 Birdland Caravan. His efforts included wrapping diapers at ShareBaby, organizing books at the Maryland Book Bank, preparing athletic gear for underserved youth with Leveling the Playing Field, and assembling Narcan kits and foster care bags with Break a Difference. Westburg’s dedication to serving the community he calls home is evident. His wife, Anna Claire, later returned to volunteer with ShareBaby during the season, reflecting the couple’s shared dedication to service.
In addition to his non-profit work, Westburg is committed to uplifting and celebrating young fans. On Mo Gaba Day, which honors the Orioles Hall of Famer who captivated thousands of Baltimoreans during his courageous battle with cancer, Westburg went above and beyond to honor the recipients of the Mo Gaba Positivity and Perseverance Awards, who are chosen annually for their extraordinary resilience, kindness, and uplifting spirit that mirrored the qualities that defined Mo Gaba’s legacy. Each award winner received a signed bobblehead and personally written letter from Westburg.
In April, Westburg played a key role in unveiling the newly renovated outdoor classroom at Harlem Park Elementary Middle School. The dedication of the classroom, which was funded through a playoff share donated by the 2024 Orioles, also marked the first anniversary of the Orioles’ Adopt-A-School partnership. Westburg and Anna Claire attended the dedication and even took time to read to the students before that night’s game.
Throughout this season, Westburg has continued to demonstrate that he is more than just an exceptional athlete. Both on and off the field, Westburg is a role model for fans throughout Birdland. His extraordinary character, sportsmanship, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions are evident in his willingness to lead a young Orioles clubhouse and use his platform to continue to give back, the same qualities that made Roberto Clemente so beloved during his illustrious 18-year career.
The league-wide winner of the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Capital One will be honored at the 2025 World Series following selection by a blue-ribbon panel. This panel includes 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, as well as Roberto’s children, ENRIQUE, LUIS and ROBERTO CLEMENTE, JR. Beginning today, fans can vote for the Roberto Clemente Award, presented by Capital One via MLBTogether.com/clementeaward. The site, which features bios of each nominee, allows fans to vote through the end of the season on Sunday, September 28. The winner of the fan vote will count as one vote among those cast by the blue-ribbon panel.
The concept of honoring Major League players for their philanthropic work was created in 1971 as the “Commissioner’s Award,” but was renamed to the “Roberto Clemente Award” in 1973 in honor of 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.