Fenway Stadium lit up, and amid the cheers of victory, a moment that brought a chorus of laughter to Boston — Wilyer Abreu, the star right fielder who had just won his second consecutive Gold Glove, announced that he would donate $400,000 to the homeless community in the New England area. He didn’t say much. He just smiled and left a sentence that touched the baseball world: “I’m just giving back the love that this city has given me.”
Perhaps no one will forget the image of Abreu in 2023 — a young Venezuelan man who had just arrived in Boston, quiet, few words, but every throw from right field was a passionate song. And now, as he stands in the spotlight of the 2025 American League Golden Glove, the spotlight seems to shine not just on a great player, but also on a good person at heart.
According to the team, Abreu will be donating $400,000 to three organizations: Boston Rescue Mission, Pine Street Inn, and Bridge Over Troubled Waters—three centers that help the chronically homeless in Massachusetts. “He didn’t want a ceremony, he didn’t want any publicity. We only found out when he mailed the check,” a Red Sox representative said.
Abreu said the decision came one evening after a win over the Yankees in August. As he was leaving the field, he saw a homeless man huddled near the sidewalk, wearing an old jersey with a faded Red Sox logo. “He said just watching the Red Sox win was enough to warm his heart,” Abreu recalled, his voice dropping. “I thought… maybe I should do something to make him feel warm.”
In the 2025 season, Wilyer Abreu had an excellent defensive rating: +12 DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) and 7 assists from right field, leading the entire American League. But it was the fact that he did not lose his humility, even though he was becoming a shining star for the Red Sox, that made fans love him especially.
“Boston always loves those who dare to fight for more than winning,” wrote sports writer Dan Shaughnessy. “And Abreu is doing that – not only on the field, but also off it.”
Fenway Park, which has witnessed thousands of games, is now mentioned for a gesture. In an era where million-dollar contracts have made people callous, Abreu’s actions have become a breath of fresh air – simple, genuine and touching.
“I’m not more compassionate than anyone else,” Abreu said as he left the press room. “I just want the people who cheered me when I was nobody to have more reason to believe they picked the right guy.”
Those words—and his catches in right field—quieted the entire city of Boston. Because sometimes, the best catches are not on the field, but in the way people reach out to each other.
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