Marcus Semien of the Rangers is the MLBPAA Heart & Hustle Award winner for 2023.
The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association has selected Marcus Semien of the Texas Rangers to receive its 2023 Heart & Hustle Award. Every year, the prize is given to the active player who best represents baseball’s traditions, values, and spirit while also performing exceptionally well on the field.
Prior to the 2022 season, Semien signed a contract with the Texas Rangers, who made a strong effort to acquire him due to his leadership qualities and presence in the clubhouse in addition to his on-field abilities. Semien enjoys a great reputation throughout the game and is praised by both current and former teammates.
Semien represented the American League in the All-Star Game and placed third in the voting for the American League Most Valuable Player award this season. Presented annually to an MLB player “whose on-field performance and contributions to his community inspire others to higher levels of achievement,” the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award went to him in 2021.
Since the award’s inception in 2005, Semien is the first Ranger to receive it.
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The first Texas Ranger to win a prize chosen by other MLB players is Marcus Semien.
Marcus Semien, the second baseman for the Texas Rangers, won the club’s first Heart & Hustle Award after helping the team win its first World Series.
This has got to be the player of the year award, if there was ever one.
After leading the Texas Rangers to their first World Series victory, Marcus Semien was selected as the 2023 Heart & Hustle Award winner on Friday.
The MLB Players Alumni Association established the award in 2005, and Semien is the first player from the Rangers to receive it. Players “who demonstrate a passion for the game of baseball and best embodies the values, spirit, and traditions of the game” are the recipients of the annual award, according to the MLBPAA.
Both current players and alumni can vote for the award.
With 835 plate appearances in a single season (including the postseason), Semien set a record in MLB. As the Rangers’ leadoff hitter, he started all 179 games in 2023, including 17 postseason contests.
Semien led the American League with 185 hits, 122 runs scored, 29 home runs, 40 doubles, and 100 RBI. He also won a Silver Slugger Award and placed third in the American League MVP voting.
After putting up little resistance at the plate in the first two rounds of the playoffs, Semien found his swing, recording hits in Texas’ final seven postseason contests and nailing a game-winning three-run home run in the ninth inning to win the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 5.
The Semien Family donated to the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation to provide meals to Youth Academy families through the non-profit organization Food for the soul over the summer. The 10-week program helped distribute more than 1,500 boxes of fresh produce and non-perishables to families in need.
Stefan Stevenson worked as a journalist and editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for 25 years, covering sports, concerts, and general news. His beats have included the Dallas Cowboys, the Texas Rangers, and Texas Christian University football.
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