Otto Lopez’s name is on the Roberto Clemente Award ballot, and the Marlins’ shortstop has given plenty of reason for it.
Lopez was part of a team visit to the Clemente Museum in Pittsburgh in June, and the experience left a mark. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Montreal, Canada, Lopez said learning more about Roberto Clemente’s life deepened his respect for the Hall of Famer, who died at 38 in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1972 while trying to deliver supplies to victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua.
“It's incredible how many things he did outside of baseball, and that's a man to follow,” Lopez said.
Every Major League club selects one player who reflects Clemente’s example through character, community work, philanthropy and positive contributions on and off the field. Fans can vote for the overall MLB Roberto Clemente Award winner at www.mlbtogether.com/clementeaward through next Sunday, and the fan vote counts as one ballot alongside those from a blue-ribbon panel.
Lopez has also been chosen as Miami’s Heart and Hustle Award nominee, and his work in the community has been a steady part of his life since he rooted himself in South Florida.
This year, he took part in the Miami Marlins Foundation’s annual Baseball Fantasy Camp for Kids at loanDepot park, where he worked with young athletes with physical and intellectual challenges. Lopez helped run baseball activities on the field and spent time with the campers and their families, then returned when the camp came back this past June.
He also joined his wife, Marle, and their young daughter, Amelia, at Kensington Park Elementary School for the Marlins Foundation’s 2025 back-to-school initiative. There, they handed out school supplies and Marlins tickets as part of a larger effort that provided resources for more than 10,000 elementary school students across Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.
“That's important just getting our daughter growing up in that environment of helping others,” Lopez said. “That's something that we want to teach her.”
That willingness to connect has shown up in smaller moments, too. Marle has spotted fans of her husband at the ballpark and invited them to meet him after games. Lopez has sent messages of support to the Marlins’ Nike RBI teams before they played in the MLB Nike RBI Regional Tournament, and he also recorded a message for a young boy named Otto before the child underwent surgery.
“It’s incredible to see how those kids are maintaining their faith,” Lopez said. “If they can do it, I just teach myself I can do it, too.”
Lopez’s community work has reached beyond team events as well. In July, he and Javier Sanoja visited Global Empowerment Mission, where they helped sort and pack critical supplies for communities in Venezuela affected by the earthquake as part of the organization’s broader relief effort.
Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said Lopez stands out in more ways than one.
“He's a great husband, he's a great dad, so I think in so many ways, Otto exemplifies what I believe our culture is, and we want it to continue to be through what he does on and off the field,” McCullough said. “We see the charitable works that him and Marle do. Otto's just someone that you can trust, and he's also coming into his own as a player.”
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