Yankees players traded in their pinstripes for suits Monday night.
Lefty pitcher Carlos Rodón and his wife Ashley received support from his teammates and their wives as the couple hosted the Third Annual Willow Gala at Skylight at the Refinery in New York City.
Yankees stars, such as Gerrit Cole and his wife Amy Cole and Cody Bellinger and his wife Chase Carter Bellinger, were dressed to the nines as they supported The Carlos Rodón Foundation — which raised over $1 million for couples navigating the emotional and financial strain of infertility and pregnancy loss.
Rodón wore an all-black ensemble with a bowtie and a patterned suit jacket.
Ashley stunned in a green satin dress.
Aaron Judge and his wife Samantha Judge were all smiles while posing together.
The superstar slugger donned a navy blue suit and Samantha looked stunning in a white dress with yellow flowers.
Meredith Marakovits, YES Network’s Yankees clubhouse reporter, attended the gala in a beautiful blue dress.
“Put on real shoes and a dress,” she wrote in an Instagram Story post, including a selfie photo.
Yankees players such as Austin Wells, Ben Rice, Cam Schlittler, George Lombard Jr., Max Fried, Paul Goldschmidt, Ryan McMahon, Ryan Weathers, Ryan Yarbrough, Spencer Jones, Tim Hill, Trent Grisham and Will Warren were all in attendance.
During the event, the Rodóns presented the Seeds of Hope Award to Samantha Busch in recognition of her and her late husband, NASCAR star Kyle Busch’s dedication to expanding access to fertility care through The Bundle of Joy Fund, which partners with the Foundation to provide Willow Grants.
“There is nothing like telling a couple that they have received a grant and seeing relief and hope flood in … Thank you for honoring Kyle tonight,” Samantha said while on stage to accept the honor on behalf of their shared legacy.
“In the middle of so much devastation, there is still light and hope in seeing something we built together continue to change lives. I know Kyle would be so proud of that.”
Busch died at 41 in May after pneumonia progressed “into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications,” his family said in a statement.
Rodón, a three-time MLB All-Star, and Ashley co-founded the foundation after their own journey with infertility and pregnancy loss.
Through the Willow Grant, named in honor of their daughter, the Foundation helps couples afford life-changing treatments like IVF.
