ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers first baseman Jake Burger is the 2026 Philanthropist of the Year, the Players Trust, the charitable arm of the Major League Baseball Players Association, announced Oct. 28 as part of the Players Choice Awards. The Rangers congratulated Burger on the honor.
As part of the award, the Players Trust will send a $25,000 grant to The Burger Family Foundation. Burger and his wife, Ashlyn, operate the 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which supports people with Down syndrome and families raising children with disabilities.
Since the award was created in 2023, no Rangers player had won it before Burger. Active major leaguers vote on the Players Choice Awards. The two runners-up for Philanthropist of the Year each receive $5,000 grants for their chosen nonprofits.
Jake Burger Earns Second Players Trust Honor Of 2026
In May, the Players Trust named Burger its Most Valuable Philanthropist, which came with a $10,000 grant. That money helped develop and launch The Lucky Ranch, a multi-acre facility in Nashville, Tenn., built to create jobs for adults with disabilities…