The Most Valuable Philanthropist award recognizes a Player whose efforts have made a positive impact in the causes and communities personal to him. The MVP award is offered three times over the course of the regular season, celebrating the individual Player who demonstrates an altruistic spirit and positive social impact beyond the diamond.
The winner of this award will receive a grant in his name to the charity of his choice, as well as automatic consideration for the Philanthropist of the Year Award which is given at the end of the year.
2024 PHILANTHROPIST OF THE YEAR
Rhys Hoskins has been named the 2024 Players Trust Philanthropist of the Year Award. The seven-year veteran will be honored at the 3rd annual Playmakers Classic presented by Fanatics in Phoenix, Arizona for his dedication this year and throughout his life to charity. The Players Trust will donate $25,000 to the Muscular Dystrophy Association in his honor.
Rhys and his wife Jayme have been dedicated to the MDA community since their teenage years when they both served as MDA camp counselors. Since then Rhys and Jayme have continued their work with the MDA throughout Rhys’ major league career.
In Philadelphia, Rhys participated in various MDA activities, including Zoom parties, Halloween events, educational sessions, and summer camps, helping to raise over $1 million for the organization. Since joining the Brewers in 2024, the Hoskins have continued their support of the MDA by hosting 100 families at a Brewers game and organizing a meet-and-greet for 60 of those guests.
“The first time I was attached to the Muscular Dystrophy Association I was 17 years old and Jayme was 16. We got to be camp counselors for a couple of years straight,” Hoskins said. “The pure joy of getting to go and just be yourself for a week while having a lot of fun along the way was something that we were drawn to.”
INTRODUCING THE 2024 REGULAR SEASON AWARD RECIPIENTS
JON gray - AUGUST 2024
The Players Trust, the charitable arm of the Major League Baseball Players Association, announced today that Texas Rangers pitcher Jon Gray was named the third Most Valuable Philanthropist of 2024. The Players Trust will award a $5,000 grant in Gray’s honor to benefit the Birthday Party Project, which provides birthday parties for homeless children.
Gray, a 32-year-old native of Shawnee, Okla., was drafted 3rd overall by the Colorado Rockies out of the University of Oklahoma in 2013. He made his Major League debut in 2015 and was Colorado’s starting pitcher on Opening Day in 2017 and 2018, spending six seasons with the Rockies before signing with the Rangers in 2021.
Since arriving in Arlington, Gray and his wife, Jacklyn, have supported a variety of charitable causes, focusing on work in five main areas which they call their “Fab Five for Philanthropy.” In addition to the Birthday Party Project, these areas include support for their church, for military personnel and families, animal rescue, and Mission Arlington's programs for community members in need.
Gray donates $100 per strikeout to The Pawerful Rescue and $500 per win to the Adaptive Training Foundation. He has also donated ballpark suites for the Birthday Party Project, and through his #MissionGrayWolf22 program, hosts military servicemembers and their families at the ballpark during Saturday games. In 2023, he was the Rangers’ Roberto Clemente Award nominee in recognition of his philanthropy.
TREVOR WILLIAMS - JULY 2024
The Players Trust will award a $5,000 grant in Williams’ honor to Project 34, a nonprofit organization founded by Williams and his Arizona State baseball teammate, Cory Hahn. Project 34’s work centers around improving the lives of people with spinal cord injuries.
Williams, a San Diego native, played baseball Arizona State before being drafted in the second round by the Miami Marlins. The 32-year-old has spent seven seasons with the Pirates, Cubs, Mets, and Nationals, but his experiences at Arizona State inspired Project 34 after his teammate, Cory Hahn, suffered a serious spinal cord injury during a 2011 game. Hahn was left paralyzed from the chest down after a head-first slide into second base fractured his C-5 vertebra. Since its founding, Project 34 has bestowed more than 300 grants to purchase medical equipment and assistive devices that might be otherwise inaccessible for spinal injury patients.
“It is an honor to be named a Most Valuable Philanthropist this season and to have the support and partnership of the Players Trust on Project 34,” said Williams. “Cory’s resilience and courage in the face of adversity have been a source of great inspiration for me. I honor Cory every day by wearing number 34 on my uniform, and through our work together on Project 34 improving the lives of those overcoming spinal injuries, as well as their families. Recovery from these injuries is a massive financial burden, and we are here to ease that burden as much as we can.”
JOSE TREVINO - APRIL 2024
In recognition of Trevino’s tireless charitable work, the Players Trust will award a $5,000 grant in his honor to Special Hearts in the Arts, a nonprofit organization that offers arts programs in music, theater, film and other fields for individuals with special needs in Corpus Christi, Texas.
“I have known Jose since he was a student in my class, and for years have been blessed to witness his endless generosity and concern for others” said Special Hearts founder Sherri Davis. “Jose always makes time to visit with our performers when he is home in Corpus Christi, and has been a longtime supporter of our work. We are so proud of his success and grateful for his donation to help grow our organization.”
Trevino, 31, attended St. John Paul II High School in Corpus Christi before moving on to Oral Roberts University and a career in professional baseball.
“Since she was my teacher back in high school, Ms. Davis has instilled in me a passion for helping others, and the lessons I’ve learned from her have had an enormous impact on my life to this day,” Trevino said. “I’m so glad I have the opportunity to pay it forward and give back by supporting Special Hearts, helping special needs students in Corpus Christi explore music, theater, art and more.”
2023 REGULAR SEASON AWARD RECIPIENTS
2023 PHILANTHROPIST OF THE YEAR
Francisco Lindor was the winner of its 2023 Philanthropist of the Year Award. The four-time All-Star shortstop was honored at the 2nd annual Playmakers Classic presented by Fanatics in Las Vegas for his tireless charitable work this year and throughout his baseball career. The Players Trust donated $25,000 to the Francisco Lindor Scholarship Fund in his honor.
The fund was established by Lindor in 2020 and provides financial assistance to deserving students at Montverde Academy, Lindor’s high school alma mater. He has long credited the Academy with providing him with a strong foundation that helped ease his professional journey in Major League Baseball. He has also credited the diversity and structure at Montverde with helping him develop his decision-making, judgment and leadership skills.