Marlins Star Anthony Bender Raffling Gloves for Charity in Hometown
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Miami Marlins pitcher Anthony Bender is spending part of his offseason giving back to his hometown of Petaluma, Calif.
Bender and his glove sponsor, Gloveworks, is raffling off two gloves in his hometown to benefit the Trevor Smith Memorial Foundation, which is named for a 13-year-old boy who died in a tragic accident in 2012. The foundation raises money for scholarships in athletics, drama and education.
Bender, who is coming off his fourth Major League season with the Marlins, announced the giveaway on Instagram earlier this week.
Anthony Bender Glove Raffle
According to the Petaluma Argus-Courier, the raffle closes at 11 a.m. pacific time on Dec. 21. One of the gloves is a replica of the glove Bender uses in games and the other is a red, white and blue infielder’s glove. Raffle ticket prices range from $10 for a single ticket to 13 tickets for $100.
Bender played his prep baseball at Casa Grande High School in Petaluma and then went on to pitch for Santa Rosa Junior College in Santa Rosa, Calif., before he started his professional career.
In 2025 with Miami he appeared in 51 games, going 3-5 with a career-low 2.16 ERA. He struck out 42 and walked 21 in 50 innings, while allowing batters to hit .177 against him, also a career low. He had a career-high 19 holds, with four saves in seven chances, making him one of Miami’s most reliable relievers.
Bender has been with the Marlins since 2020, when he joined the organization by signing a minor league deal. He made his MLB debut in 2021 and went 3-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 60 games, with one start, as he struck out 71 and walked 20 in 61.1 innings. Batters hit just .207 against him while he registered 12 holds and three saves in five chances. He followed that up with a 2022 in which he went 1-3 with a 3.86 ERA in 22 games, with 17 strikeouts and eight walks in 19.1 innings.
His 2022 season was cut short by an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery and he missed the 2023 season rehabbing the injury. He returned in 2024 and made 59 appearances for Miami, as he went 5-2 with a 4.08 ERA, including 59 strikeouts and 18 walks in 53 innings. He had 15 holds and one save in five chances.
Bender was the 20th round pick of the Kansas City Royals in the 2016 MLB draft. He spent the 2017 and 2018 seasons in the Royals system before he was released in March of 2019. He signed with the Sioux City Explorers in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. A month later, he signed a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. He went back to the American Association in 2020, pitched for the Milwaukee Milkmen and helpe them win the American Association championship.
