# Rockies Nominate Kyle Freeland for Roberto Clemente Award

> Colorado Rockies' Kyle Freeland named 2026 Roberto Clemente Award nominee for community impact.
- Title: Rockies Nominate Kyle Freeland for Roberto Clemente Award
- Summary: Colorado Rockies' Kyle Freeland named 2026 Roberto Clemente Award nominee for community impact. Colorado Rockies' Kyle Freeland, drafted in 2014, is a 2026…
- Keywords: kyle freeland, roberto clemente award, special olympics colorado, colorado rockies, mlb, 2026, roberto clemente, nfl, sports, Rockies, Nominate, Kyle
- Source: Colorado Rockies On SI — https://si.com/mlb/rockies/onsi/heartwarming-reasons-explain-rockies-kyle-freeland-roberto-clemente-nomination
- Published: 2026-09-16T14:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: kyle freeland, roberto clemente award, special olympics colorado, colorado rockies, mlb, 2026, roberto clemente, nfl, sports
## Roberto Clemente Award
The Roberto Clemente Award honors excellence on and off the field in professional baseball.
## Award History
Established in 1971 as the Commissioner Award, it was renamed to honor Roberto Clemente who died in a plane crash while helping earthquake victims in Nicaragua.
## Rockies Nominate Freeland
The Colorado Rockies announced Kyle Freeland, their homegrown starting pitcher drafted in 2014, as a 2026 Roberto Clemente Award finalist.
## Freeland's Community Work
Freeland and his wife Ashley have raised funds for Special Olympics Colorado and attended regionals regularly since he was living in Grand Junction.
## Profit Sharing for SOCO
Freeland has organized custom and memorabilia auctions with all proceeds going to SOCO year-long training and competition for local athletes.
## Mentorship for Young Players
Freeland mentors young ballplayers in Colorado on grip patterns and game mechanics, answering questions about baseball.
## Rockies' Pride
The Rockies highlight Freeland's community impact as bigger than his baseball career, benefiting his team and local community.
## Nomination Announcement
The Colorado Rockies announced Kyle Freeland as a 2026 Roberto Clemente Award nominee with voting open through September 14, 2026.

> Congratulations to Kyle Freeland on being named our 2026 Roberto Clemente Award nominee 💜 Vote for Free: https://t.co/nKpX0pqBR3
## Key takeaway

Colorado Rockies' Kyle Freeland, drafted in 2014, is a 2026 Roberto Clemente Award nominee for his work with Special Olympics Colorado and mentoring young players.