Pirates' Brandon Lowe Explains Why Roberto Clemente Award Nomination is 'Special'

Roberto Clemente was one of the most beloved players in all of baseball. He represented the sport while with the Pirates , a historic franchise. His legacy after he passed lives on forever.

The Roberto Clemente Award is one of the most prestigious awards in baseball. Normally, being nominated would make any player proud. For the Pirates ' Brandon Lowe , wearing No. 21 on Roberto Clemente Day while being nominated meant the world to him.

"Yeah, I think there's a little more to it," Lowe said via TribLive , "being in Pittsburgh and seeing 21 on your jersey and everything that comes with that."

The Pirates traded for Brendan Lowe, Jake Magnum and Mason Montgomery during the 2025 MLB offseason. Lowe was coming off a career year in 2025 with the Rays, hitting 31 home runs with a .477 slugging percentage. In Pittsburgh, Lowe has had a season to remember.

Lowe has hit 30 home runs with a career-high 141 hits in 140 games. Lowe and Ryan O'Hearn became just the third duo in Pirates history to record 15+ home runs and 60+ RBIs before the All-Star break, joining Willie Stargell and Al Oliver (1973) and Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla (1990).

Off the field, Lowe hosts youth baseball players and continues his Home Runs for Hope campaign. He donates $250 to Pirates charities after every home run he hits, and has pledged money to various other organizations around Pittsburgh.

"It's a great example that he's (set) on the field and in the clubhouse, is the stability that he brings every single day, the professionalism and how he goes about it," Manager Don Kelly said about Lowe. "He shows up with the mindset every day to do whatever he can to help the team win. He shows that too in the community, showing up helping the team off the field, as well."

The last Pirates player to win the award was Andrew McCutchen in 2010. Before that? Willie Stargell in 1974. It's unknown if Lowe, a free agent next year, will win. But wearing a Pirates uniform while remembering Clemente is an honor he will never forget.

"The background of the award and everything the award stands for, obviously it's incredible," Lowe said. "There's a lot of people in this clubhouse that are doing a lot of things in this community, as well. To be able to be the nominee, especially in Pittsburgh, it does make it a little more special."