Pablo López Named Finalist for MLBPA’s Man of the Year Award

[Cody Christie]

Pablo López did not take the mound for the Minnesota Twins in 2026, but his impact on the organization and its community continues to earn recognition. The right-hander has received another significant honor, this time as a finalist for one of the Major League Baseball Players Association’s most meaningful awards.

The nomination adds to a growing list of honors for López during a season in which he was unable to contribute on the field. Last month, the Twins selected him as their nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, recognizing his commitment to community service and charitable work. It marked the third consecutive season Minnesota nominated López for the award and the fourth time overall the organization recognized him for his community contributions.

On Wednesday, the MLBPA announced the finalists for its annual Players Choice Awards. López was named one of three finalists for the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award, joining Chris Bassitt and Nico Hoerner. The award recognizes the influence players can have through leadership, service, and their ability to inspire others.

Recognizing Leadership

The Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award is presented to the player “whose leadership most inspires others to higher levels of achievement.” Named after the MLBPA’s first full-time executive director, the award honors a legacy of leadership and advocacy for major league players.

Miller served as executive director from 1966 to 1982 and played a central role in transforming the relationship between players and team ownership. His influence extended well beyond the baseball field, making the award particularly fitting for players who use their positions to make a difference in their communities and within the game. Miller was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2021.

Unlike awards determined by media members or front-office personnel, the Players Choice Awards are voted on by the players themselves. First presented in 1992, the awards recognize excellence both on and off the field, including individual performance, leadership, perseverance, and community impact.

That peer-driven selection process makes López’s nomination especially noteworthy. Being recognized by fellow major leaguers reflects the respect he has earned from people who understand the demands of the sport and the responsibilities that come with playing at its highest level.

A Meaningful Season Away From the Field

For Minnesota, López’s 2026 season has been defined by his absence from the rotation. However, an injury preventing him from pitching has not erased his standing within the organization or diminished the attention surrounding his off-field contributions.

The Twins have repeatedly highlighted López’s community involvement through their Roberto Clemente Award nominations. His latest recognition from the MLBPA reinforces that his value to the organization extends beyond his work as a starting pitcher.

López has established himself as an important voice in Minnesota’s clubhouse, and leadership can take on added significance during a season when a player cannot contribute between the lines. His nomination places him alongside Bassitt and Hoerner, two players also recognized for their leadership. The winners of this year’s Players Choice Awards are scheduled to be announced during the week of October 26. 

The Twins will eventually need López back on the mound to help lead their pitching staff. In the meantime, his continued recognition is a reminder that a player's influence is not measured solely by innings pitched, strikeouts, or wins. Even in a season without an on-field role, López remains a prominent representative of the organization.

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[Permanent Twins Fan]

Extend Pablo!

[DJL44]

That’s a huge honor

[MeleMouth]

22 hours ago, Permanent Twins Fan said:

Extend Pablo!

The wish to extend Lopez gets said a lot, because he seems like a good person and, when healthy, he's been a very good pitcher. 

However, he's going to need approximately a 4.5 fWAR season this year for the value he's produced under his 4-year deal from 2024-27 to equal the amount he's been paid. He's coming off his second TJ surgery. Gerrit Cole, a better pitcher, just produced 2.1 fWAR in his first year after his first TJ, and Spencer Strider, also a better pitcher, had 1.0 fWAR in his first season after his second TJ, before tailing off to 0.1 fWAR in his second year back and being talked about by Atlanta management as possibly losing his spot in the rotation for next year. Shane Bieber, also a better pitcher, has produced a total of 0.4 fWAR in the two years since returning from his TJ. Perhaps the best recent return from TJ was Jacob DeGrom's 3.4 fWAR in the first year back after his second TJ, but DeGrom also is a superior pitcher - Lopez exceeded 3.4 fWAR only once in his career .

Perhaps Pablo can produce better than Cole, Bieber, Strider, or DeGrom did in their first years after returning from TJ, but a gambler would need long odds to take that bet. It's almost impossible that he'll come anywhere near the approximately 4.5 fWAR needed to make his current contract breakeven for the Twins.

Therefore, despite how awesome he's been, without knowing a lot more about his recovery, it would be unwise for the Twins to enter into another multi-year contract with Pablo Lopez, particularly at anywhere near the $21.75 million they're going to pay him in 2027.

P.S. A salary cap might really hit salaries for pitchers, because of the risk from tying up a large percentage of allowable payroll in a player who could spend a lot of time on the IL or lose effectiveness quickly.