MLBPAA announces Marcus Semien as winner of 18th annual overall Heart and Hustle Award
Colorado Springs Colo. - The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA) is pleased to announce Texas Rangers infielder Marcus Semien as the overall winner of the 2023 Heart and Hustle Award. This esteemed award honors active players who demonstrate a passion for the game of baseball and best embody the values, spirit and tradition of the game. The Heart and Hustle Award is also the only award in Major League Baseball that is voted on by former players.
Semien has earned recognition as a multiple-time recipient of the Team Heart and Hustle Award, clinching the honor four times while representing three different clubs¡ªthe Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers. The 2023 World Series champion continues to demonstrate a crucial impact in the clubhouse, on the field and in his community. During the Rangers 2023 regular season, Semien recorded 185 hits, 100 RBI and 29 home runs, earning him his second All-Star appearance and Silver Slugger Award. In the 2023 postseason he recorded 17 hits, 10 RBI and two home runs.
Beyond his hustle on the diamond, Semien remains active in his communities and is a consistent supporter of the Texas Rangers Youth Academy, where he sponsored a new weekly food distribution program for the academy this past summer. He remains a continued supporter in local Texas and Bay Area charities as well as other various youth organizations, and his notable leadership has won him two Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) Marvin Miller Man of the Year Awards.
The MLBPAA formed 30 committees comprised of Alumni players with established relationships to each team. Fans, alumni and active players vote to select the final winner from 30 team winners. The previous overall winners are David Eckstein (2005), Craig Biggio (2006, 2007), Grady Sizemore (2008), Albert Pujols (2009), Roy Halladay (2010), Torii Hunter (2011), Mike Trout (2012), Dustin Pedroia (2013), Josh Harrison (2014), Anthony Rizzo (2015), Todd Frazier (2016), Brett Gardner (2017), Mookie Betts (2018), Howie Kendrick (2019), Ozzie Albies (2021) and Paul Goldschmidt (2022). No award was presented in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information regarding the Heart and Hustle Award, please contact Kendall Meisner by e-mail at Kendall@MLBPAA.com or by calling (719) 477-1870, ext. 201.
To learn more about the MLBPAA, please visit www.baseballalumni.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@MLBPAA).