Baltimore Orioles Congratulate Chris Bassitt After Winning Award

Chris Bassitt has officially won the 2026 Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award. The former Baltimore Orioles right-hander was selected by his fellow major-league players over finalists Nico Hoerner of the Chicago Cubs and Pablo Lopez of the Minnesota Twins.

The award, presented annually as part of the Players Choice Awards, recognizes the player whose leadership and community contributions inspire others to higher levels of achievement.

Players vote for the winner, making it one of the more meaningful honors in the sport. There is no panel of executives or media members deciding this one. Bassitt's peers chose him. The Orioles congratulated Bassitt with a message on X. "A true leader on the field and in the community. Congratulations to Chris Bassitt on being named the 2026 Players Choice Awards Marvin Miller Man of the Year 🏆," the team wrote.

The award has been given since 1997, with past winners including Hall of Famers like John Smoltz, Jim Thome, Chipper Jones and Mariano Rivera. Bassitt now sits in that company.

His on-field 2026 was complicated by an injury. Bassitt went on the injured list in June with lower-back discomfort and underwent a procedure to remove a lumbar bone spur later that month.

He returned to Baltimore's rotation in August after a minor-league rehab assignment and finished the season with a 9-5 record, 4.41 ERA, and 74 strikeouts across 102 innings in 20 appearances. 

Bassitt serves as a player representative for the MLBPA. He has been one of the most active voices in the union for years, advocating for players on issues that extend well beyond his own contract.

That kind of work does not generate highlights, but it shapes the sport in ways that matter to every player in the locker room. When peers vote on an award like this, they are recognizing someone they trust and respect off the field.

Baltimore had a rough 2026, finishing 79-82 and missing the playoffs for the second straight season. Bassitt joined the Orioles after three seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, bringing experience that was supposed to make a difference in the playoffs.

The 37-year-old is now a free agent, and Baltimore's offseason plans for the rotation are still taking shape. Whether Bassitt returns to the Orioles or moves on, the award stands on its own. His peers voted him the best example in the sport of what a player can be beyond the game itself. That is worth celebrating.