Roger Clemens Medal of Freedom? President Donald Trump announced Wednesday night that he will award Roger Clemens the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling the seven-time Cy Young winner “maybe the greatest pitcher of all time.” Trump made the announcement during a rally in San Antonio that stretched more than 100 minutes, calling Clemens to the stage near the end of his speech.
Roger Clemens Medal Of Freedom: The Main Development
Trump told the crowd the honor ranks among the nation’s highest distinctions. “We’re giving him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And, along with the Congressional Medal of Honor, it’s the highest award bestowed upon anyone,” Trump said.
The president also addressed Clemens’ absence from the Baseball Hall of Fame, where voters have kept him out over suspicions tied to steroid use. “He’ll be in the Hall of Fame someday, but he deserves it. One of the greatest athletes, and maybe the greatest pitcher, of all time,” Trump said, adding the medal “is a big step up from the Hall of Fame.”
Clemens, known throughout his career as The Rocket, said he did not see the moment coming. “Well, I’m stunned,” Clemens told the rally crowd. He added, “This supersedes anything that obviously I’ve done in my playing career. And to get it from this man, this president, there wouldn’t be another president I’d want to get it from.”
What It Means
Clemens pitched 24 seasons in the majors for the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Houston Astros, finishing with 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts while allowing an average of 3.12 runs per game, according to USA Today. He grew up in Houston, pitched at the University of Texas at Austin and helped the Longhorns win the 1983 College World Series before returning to pitch for the Astros from 2004 to 2006.
Despite that resume, Clemens has never reached Cooperstown because of steroid suspicions that have followed him since his playing days ended, a gap Trump’s announcement does not change but does place alongside one of the government’s highest civilian honors.
Context
The Medal of Freedom dates back to its creation by President Harry Truman in 1945 and had been awarded 675 times to 672 people and one group heading into 2026, per USA Today. Previous baseball recipients include Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams and Hank Aaron.
Clemens joins a list of athletes Trump has honored with the medal during his time in office, following golfer Tiger Woods, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach and former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, according to the Associated Press. Trump has also pushed for Pete Rose’s induction into the Hall of Fame and issued Rose a posthumous federal pardon last year. In 2018, Trump awarded the Medal of Freedom posthumously to Babe Ruth.
What’s Next
No date has been set for a formal presentation ceremony, and the White House has not released additional details on the rationale beyond Trump’s remarks at the San Antonio rally. Clemens’ Hall of Fame candidacy remains unresolved as voters continue to weigh the steroid allegations that have kept him out since his playing career ended.
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