Mets Francisco Lindor wins Roberto Clemente Award

Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News on Oct 26, 2026

Published in Baseball

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NEW YORK — Francisco Lindor once described Roberto Clemente’s legacy as being “big on the field, but even bigger off the field.” The New York Mets shortstop’s influence grew Monday when MLB named him the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award, presented annually to baseball’s top humanitarian.

The league will present him with the award Monday night at Tropicana Field, before the World Series. Capital One will donate $100,000 to the SEEN Foundation in honor of Lindor’s achievement, an organization that supports families affected by cancer or disability and recognizes their caregivers.

“To me, this honor, this award, it’s probably one of the most important awards in MLB, just because it’s not about myself,” Lindor recently said on a Zoom call. “It’s about my family, my parents, how much they have instilled in me to give and share the blessings that I have had.”

Philanthropy has always been a core tenet of who Lindor is, something instilled in him by his parents. He credited his wife, Katia Regeuro Lindor, with the execution of several philanthropic initiatives.

“She’s the rock of our family,” Lindor said. “She is somebody that’s behind the scenes. A lot of people don’t really see what she’s doing, but she’s doing a lot of things helping me and contributing to finding the communities and helping out.”

An advocate and host of the “Unaparent Podcast,” Katia is as visible in the community as her husband. The couple’s three children, daughters Kalina and Amapola, and son Koa, are often involved with their charitable endeavors as well.

This past season, Katia hosted recipients from the SEEN Foundation at Sunday home games. It’s an organization Lindor has been particularly proud to work with in part because his kids are able to participate as well by interacting with the families they host.

“My kids get to experience it firsthand, and hopefully this is just us planting the seed in their heads that this is a way of living,” he said. “We are blessed, and we’ve got to bless others. Not because it’s a requirement, but because it’s just in our personalities.”

The Lindors hand out backpacks full of school supplies to students around Queens at the start of every school year, and bring youth organizations to Citi Field for educational experiences that promote dental health, wellness, self-confidence and mentorship on Lindor Smile Tuesdays.

Throughout the years, the two have donated substantial disaster relief support to Puerto Rico. Following Hurricanes Maria and Fiona, their donations restored athletic facilities in his hometown of Caguas.

In 2026, Lindor’s Leaders launched in partnership with New Balance as a year-long leadership development initiative for students in Bayside High School’s Sports Medicine Program. Lindor personally mentors students in a program that emphasizes mental health, communication, teamwork, and leadership. Another 2026 initiative was one with Dairy Queen and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for Miracle Treat Day.

The Lindors have also worked with the Boys and Girls Clubs and hosted clinics in Florida, New York and Puerto Rico.

“In my house, there’s always conversation of how we are going to impact others,” Lindor said.

Clemente was a hero of Lindor’s as a child. A Puerto Rican icon, Lindor remembers learning about Clemente in school and learning about his impact on others throughout baseball.

“It’s so cool because I remember going to history classes in Puerto Rico for second, third and fourth grade, and you learn about the indios — the Taínos — which are natives. You learn about Roberto Clemente, and you learn about Spaniards and Christopher Columbus. So, it’s so cool to sit here and to be recognized for going out there to communities to give and help."

Clemente, a Hall of Fame outfielder who played primarily with the Pittsburgh Pirates, died in 1972 in a plane crash while delivering emergency relief resources to earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua. He was 38 years old. A year later, the Commissioner’s Award was renamed in his honor.

Lindor has been nominated in each of the last four years and became the first player from the Mets to win since Curtis Granderson in 2016. He becomes the fifth player from the organization to win the award, following Granderson, Carlos Delgado (2006), Al Leiter (2000) and Gary Carter (1989). He’s also the fifth player born in Puerto Rico to receive the award, joining Edgar Martinez (2004), Carlos Delgado (2006), Carlos Beltrán (2013) and Yadier Molina (2018).

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