The MLB Trade Deadline Has Us Thinking
The Legacy All-Star Team: Let's Build a Team Where Impact Matters Most
As teams across Major League Baseball scramble to make final roster moves before the trade deadline, we thought we’d have a little fun with a different kind of roster. Let’s assume all the players are free agents and the stat we care about is impact off the field. Here are some of the athletes we think are MVPs and just the kind of guys we’d want on our Legacy All-Star team.
Pitching In
Jose Berrios (Toronto Blue Jays) earned the nickname “La Makina,” or “The Machine” for his incredible work ethic. He parlayed that through the Jays Care Foundation into his “El Dream” initiative in Puerto Rico and Canada which is all about fostering hard work and community engagement for young athletes. Sports, education and inspiration – we can totally get behind that, La Makina, and we love your engagement with your team charity as well!
Aaron Nola (Philadelphia Phillies) We have seen Aaron in prime form in Philly with Team Red White and Blue, a nonprofit supporting mental health for veterans. He hosts a fundraiser each year and uses his platform to elevate the organization by donating $1,000 per strikeout to Team Red White and Blue. It’s a great nonprofit partnership and makes rooting for Nola’s strikeouts more fun.
Position Players Making a Difference
Catcher: Salvador Perez (Kansas City Royals) Salvy's charitable work in his native Venezuela, including distributing food, supporting a youth baseball league, paying for cleft lip surgeries and providing toys to children’s hospitals, exemplifies the kind of leadership in the community we love to see. Salvy understands that even a limited amount of time is enough to show up and make someone smile. He rolls up his sleeves and makes an impact everywhere there’s a need. That’s calling the game as he sees it.
First Base: Anthony Rizzo (formerly New York Yankees) Even though Rizzo isn’t active this year, his Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation keeps making key plays for children and families battling pediatric cancer. His own cancer experience fuels Rizzo’s “Stay Strong, Dream Big” mantra and gives families hope, financial support and opportunities to have fun together during an otherwise scary time. We’ve witnessed the smiles, the appreciation and the relief from these families firsthand. You’re a champion in our hearts, Rizz!
Second Base: Ozzie Albies (Atlanta Braves) We are suckers for our pets, so we love Albies for his work promoting animal rescue and adoption through his Ozzie Albies Foundation. His foundation provides robust support to families, shelters, vets and animal foster programs, ensuring pets and their people are a forever match. That’s covering the bases!
The Outfield: Running Down Needs
Center Field: Jarren Duran (Boston Red Sox) Duran recently opened up about his personal struggles with mental health and now encourages people facing their own demons to reach out. We salute his pluck in raising funds through sales of his “F--- ‘em” tees with proceeds benefitting the Jarren Duran Community Foundation which he is launching. Big need, so we’re keeping an eye on this play.
Right Field: Aaron Judge (New York Yankees) Judge’s All Rise Foundation aims to inspire youth to develop responsible citizenship, with programs ranging from leadership development to summer reading challenges. His stature on the field matches his giant off-the-field charity program portfolio.
Left Field: Kyle Schwarber (Philadelphia Phillies) Okay, so he only plays left field sometimes and is really a Designated Hitter, but he is the real deal (believe me, we know Kyle)! Schwarber’s Neighborhood Heroes supports wellness and crisis needs for police, fire and military families, and has touched the lives of more than 1,000 individuals. Just like the people he supports, Kyle is an everyday hero.
The beauty of our Legacy All-Star team is that there are no salary caps on compassion, no luxury tax on generosity. These players have proven that the most important statistics aren't always found on the back of a baseball card.
We didn’t field a complete team here so who did we miss? The best part about this team is that there's always room for more players willing to step up to the plate for their communities