Alum Josiah Gray ’23 Nominated for MLB’s Clemente Award

Former Le Moyne standout and current Washington Nationals starting pitcher Josiah Gray is the Nationals’ nominee for the 2023 Roberto Clemente Award, given each year to the individual who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and contributions to his team.” All 30 teams choose their nominee during the regular season, and the winner is announced at the World Series. Vote here.

The description for Gray’s nomination reads (in part): “Since joining the Washington Nationals during the 2021 season, Josiah Gray has been active in the club’s community projects, participating in the team’s Summer Reading program and at MLB’s annual PLAY BALL events.

In early 2023, Josiah and his family did not hesitate to step up to the plate, supporting Washington Nationals Philanthropies’ “Cancer Isn’t Kuhl” campaign, raising funds and awareness for breast cancer research in the wake of a teammate’s wife’s diagnosis.

Notably, Josiah has stepped into the role of being a Player Ambassador to the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy — dedicating time off the field to supporting year-round youth development programs at the Academy’s facility in one of the most underserved neighborhoods in Washington. In less than two seasons with the Washington Nationals, he has left an indelible impact on the next generation of baseball and softball players.”

Presented by Major League Baseball since 1971, in 1973 the award was renamed after Clemente, who played 18 years for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was killed on Dec. 31, 1972 when the plane he was on crashed while on a humanitarian effort to deliver supplies to aid victims of a devastating earthquake in Nicaragua.