Category: Baseball

Cole Hamels, Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp are among 12 newcomers on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released Monday, and Carlos Beltrán heads 15 holdovers after falling 19 votes shy in 2025 balloting.

Howie Kendrick, Daniel Murphy and Rick Porcello also are among the first-time eligibles, joined by Shin-Soo Choo, Edwin Encarnación, Gio González, Alex Gordon, Nick Markakis and Hunter Pence.

Beltrán received 277 of 394 votes for 70.3% in the 2025 balloting, when Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner were elected.

A nine-time All-Star, Beltrán hit .279 with 435 homers and 1,587 RBIs over 17 seasons with Kansas City (1999-2004), Houston (2004, ’17), the New York Mets (2005-11), San Francisco (2011), St. Louis (2012-13), the New York Yankees (20014-16) and Texas (2016).

He received 46.5% support in his first ballot appearance in 2023, then rose to 57.1% in his second.

Beltrán was the only player cited by name in baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred’s 2020 report concluding the Astros used electronics in violation of rules to steal signs during Houston’s run to the 2017 World Series title and again in the 2018 season. Three days after the report was issued, the New York Mets said Beltrán was out as their manager, just 2 1/2 months after he was hired.

Other holdovers include steroids-tainted stars Alex Rodriguez (146 votes, 37.1%) and Manny Ramirez (135, 34.3%) along with Andruw Jones (261, 66.2%), Chase Utley (157, 39.8%), Andy Pettitte (110, 27.9%), Félix Hernández (81, 20.6%), Bobby Abreu (77, 19.5%), Jimmy Rollins (71, 18%), Omar Vizquel (70, 17.8%), Dustin Pedroia (47, 11.9%), Mark Buehrle (45, 11.4%), Francisco Rodríguez (40, 10.2%), David Wright (32, 8.1%) and Torii Hunter (20, 5.1%).

Pettitte is on the ballot for the eighth time after doubling support from 13.5% in 2024. A player can appear on the ballot up to 10 times.

BBWAA members with 10 or more consecutive years of membership are eligible to vote. Ballots must be postmarked by Dec. 31 and results will be announced Jan. 20. Anyone elected will be inducted on July 26 along with anyone chosen Dec. 7 by the hall’s contemporary baseball era committee ballot considering eight players whose greatest contributions to the sport were from 1980 on.

Hamels, a four-time All-Star, was 163-122 with a 3.43 ERA for Philadelphia (2006-15), Texas (2015-18), the Chicago Cubs (2018-19) and Atlanta (2020), pitching a no-hitter from the Phillies against the Cubs on July 25, 2015. He was MVP of the 2008 NL Championship Series and World Series as Philadelphia won its second title, its first since 1980.

Braun, the 2011 MVP and a six-time All-Star, hit .296 with 352 homers and 1,154 RBIs for Milwaukee from 2007-20. He was suspended for the final 65 games of the 2013 season for violations of baseball’s drug program and labor contract. A 50-game suspension for an alleged positive test in 2011 was overturned after Braun challenged the chain of custody of the urine sample.

Kemp, a three-time All-Star, batted .284 with 287 homers and 1,031 RBIs for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2006-14, ’18), San Diego (2015-16), Atlanta (2016-17), Cincinnati (2019) and Colorado (2020).

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy are being considered by the contemporary era committee along with Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Eyeing a World Series title? Want to make a postseason push? Just field a competitive team? Every MLB team is going to want to address some roster questions in the offseason. 

Let’s take stock of all 30 teams, going by division, and what’s the main issue they’ll want to address with free agency in full effect. And while you’re at it, check out who we think are the top 30 free agents of the offseason.

JUMP TO: AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL East | NL Central | NL West

AL EAST

The Blue Jays will aim to run it back and reach the World Series after their Game 7 heartbreak. The Yankees want to re-sign a key offensive piece. The Red Sox need to settle things down and shore up some pitching. The Rays will return to their home stadium and will look for some normalcy. The Orioles should build on a young and promising lineup that’s due for a bounce-back season. READ MORE

NL EAST

The Mets spent big last offseason but couldn’t reach October baseball. The Phillies took the division crown and looked poised for a World Series run but fell short once again. Both teams are expected to headline the NL East next season, but three other teams — the Marlins, Braves, and Nationals — will try to build toward making the division race a bit more interesting. READ MORE

AL CENTRAL

The Tigers somehow survived a historic second-half collapse and qualified for the playoffs, only to lose in the American League Division Series.  The Guardians had one of the most improbable runs to clinch the division. The Royals are one or two impact players away from making a playoff appearance. The Twins still haven’t demonstrated whether they’re fielding a competitive team next year, and the White Sox… Well, they’ll be better than they were a year ago. READ MORE

NL CENTRAL

The Brewers are all-in on their competitive window after a sensational season. The Cubs made it to the postseason, but will they take another big swing on top talent this winter? Then there’s the Reds offense, which has a slugging problem. The Cardinals are starting a new era and going back to the foundational basics. And the Pirates, with the fourth-lowest payroll in baseball, have to prove they’ll be aggressive enough to build around their star ace. READ MORE

AL WEST 

The Mariners will try to turn their ALCS heartbreak into championship fuel. The Astros are hungry to get back into contention after missing the playoffs for the first time in nine years. The Rangers desperately need their once-powerful offense to find success again while their All-Star starting pitchers are still dealing. The Athletics have a West Sacramento problem. And the Angels, once again, are facing significant challenges to build a winning club. READ MORE

NL WEST

The Dodgers won the World Series again and are going for a three-peat. The Padres are under pressure to revamp their starting rotation against the backdrop of a potential sale of the franchise. The Giants might have something special cooking, but they’ll need to sign some intriguing pickups. The D-backs will have to work hard and get creative to address their roster flaws. And the Rockies will re-examine their rebuild with fresh eyes. READ MORE

Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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The Dodgers won the World Series again, and next year, they’re going for a three-peat. The Padres are under pressure to revamp their starting rotation — against the backdrop of a potential sale of the franchise.

The Giants might have something special cooking, but they’ll need to spend on a couple of intriguing pickups. The D-backs will have to work hard and get creative to address their roster flaws, including upgrading what is currently an uninspiring pitching staff. And the Rockies will re-examine their rebuild with fresh eyes.

After analyzing the American League West, our series wraps up with the National League West. Here are the biggest needs for a division that’s had the same winner in 12 of the past 13 years:

Teams are listed in order of their records, best to worst, in the 2025 season.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Biggest needs: Outfield and bullpen 

Yes, even the back-to-back champions have flaws. Their outfielders produced just 98 wRC+ this season, which was good for 17th in the major leagues. Their bullpen, too, was ranked in the bottom third of the league and was as shaky as ever before Roki Sasaki moved to closing duties and helped ease some of the load. 

As usual, expect the Dodgers to swing big in free agency this offseason, as well as use their deep and talented farm system for shrewd trades. Kyle Tucker’s name has been floated around, and he makes too much sense for this Dodgers squad in need of an impact bat from a corner outfielder. They’re able to mitigate their mistakes better than most, as they did with Michael Conforto’s contract as well as the money spent on Tanner Scott. The thing is, even if they made no substantial upgrades this winter, they’re still the favorites to win in 2026.  

SAN DIEGO PADRES

Biggest need: Starting pitching

Arguably no other contender needs starting pitching more than the Padres. They lost Dylan Cease and Michael King to free agency this offseason. Yu Darvish will miss the entire season due to elbow surgery, which is his second major elbow operation and could be career-ending. Joe Musgrove, at least, will return from his 2024 Tommy John surgery, but it’s anyone’s guess how effective he’ll be after missing the 2025 season and how long it will take to find his form.

As of now, Nick Pivetta will begin the season as their ace after he recorded a career-best 2.87 ERA in 31 starts for San Diego this year. It will be intriguing if the Padres opt to make Mason Miller a starter, but that’s just another question mark in a long list of them. Given the latest news out of San Diego, with the Seidler family considering a sale of the franchise, it puts into question how active the team will even be in free agency this winter. 

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

Biggest need: Pitching depth

The Giants’ big hire of rookie manager Tony Vitello, who joins the club from the University of Tennessee with no professional managing experience, will look better if president of baseball operations Buster Posey gives him a talented roster to work with. That starts with filling up the pitching staff with top-tier names in both the rotation and bullpen. 

The 1-2 punch of Logan Webb and Robbie Ray is solid, particularly because they combined for 389.1 innings and 66 starts this year. But the Giants need more quality arms beyond those two, and I’m expecting them to go big in free agency, vying for starters at the top of the market. Cease, Framber Valdez, Ranger Suarez, Michael King, Shota Imanaga, and Zac Gallen should all be in play as potential acquisitions. 

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Biggest needs: Starting pitching, relief pitching

Right after the Padres, it’s the D-backs that need to upgrade their starting pitching the most this winter. After losing Gallen to free agency, they’ll have Brandon Pfaadt, Ryne Nelson, and Eduardo Rodriguez in the rotation. Going into the season without a clear-cut ace is bad news. Corbin Burnes is targeting a return to the staff sometime around the All-Star break. So the Snakes need another quality starter to hold them over for the season, as they hope the All-Stars in their lineup — Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, and company — can do the rest. 

But another area of weakness this year was their bullpen. D-backs relievers ranked 27th in MLB with a 4.82 ERA that was better only than the Angels, Rockies, and Nationals. Lacking a true closer, the relief corps converted just 42 of 71 save opportunities, resulting in a (shield your eyes) 59% save rate. I’m not expecting Arizona to shop in the Edwin Diaz aisle, but significant attention must be paid to high-leverage relievers before Opening Day. 

COLORADO ROCKIES

Biggest need: The whole kit and caboodle

Coming off a 119-loss season, what don’t the Rockies need? Out of the blue, they hired Paul DePodesta to lead their baseball operations, bringing him back to Major League Baseball for the first time in a decade. He takes over for Rockies brass after spending the past 10 years working for the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. At least Colorado is thinking outside the box, right? Now the organization will depend on DePodesta to fill their many vacancies, including hiring a manager, while taking a fresh look at their rebuild. On the field, the Rockies need more starting pitching, bullpen help, an offensive boost, and sharper defense. That should cover everything.

Deesha Thosar covers Major League Baseball as a reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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A star second baseman in his prime and on a team-friendly contract. That’s what any team is getting in Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte.

In the wake of a disappointing season that saw Arizona miss the playoffs and be sellers at the MLB trade deadline, the switch-hitting Marte could very well be the next All-Star-caliber player moved by the franchise. Any team that needs a second baseman can talk themselves into making a move for the two-time Silver Slugger this offseason, but we’re narrowing the list. 

Here are the three best trade fits among playoff-caliber teams for Marte.

The Red Sox are close, but they need a little more oomph, and adding Marte would be a profound way to find it.

Marte, who posted 10 DRS at second base in 2024, would give Boston a surefire answer at second base (645 MLB starts) and somebody who can bounce to shortstop (256 MLB starts) or center field (160 MLB starts), when needed. The 32-year-old, who would form a stable, double-play duo with fellow veteran Trevor Story, is due just $92 million over the next five seasons and has a player option for the 2031 MLB season, an overall contract that’s one of the best values in the sport.

Marte would be a veteran star complement to a Red Sox offense that has an emerging core of young players like Roman Anthony, Romy Gonzalez and Wilyer Abreu. He can hit near the top of Boston’s lineup, generating offense for the meat of the order and having the lethal swing from both sides of the plate to do damage on his own. Marte would put the Red Sox on the same wavelength as the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees in the American League East next season even without internal growth. The Red Sox could send infielder and former first-rounder Mikey Romero, right-hander Hunter Dobbins and outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia to the Diamondbacks for Marte.

All that said, Boston may prefer to let Gonzalez or Marcelo Mayer be its everyday second baseman in 2026 with a healthy Triston Casas at first base, refraining from a move in the middle infield – though, it would be for an impact player.

How about going back to where it all began to give the team that brought Marte into the sport its first championship?

Marte, who spent the first two seasons of his MLB career in Seattle (2015-16), would be the team’s permanent answer at second base, a position that was a revolving door for the Mariners last season. This is a Seattle team that was one win away from reaching the World Series. Want somebody who thrives in the clutch? Marte was exceptional with the bat en route to the Diamondbacks winning the NL pennant in 2023, totaling two home runs and 11 RBIs while posting a .329/.380/.534 slash line in 17 postseason games.

The 32-year-old Marte would add a well-balanced hitter to a Mariners’ offense that, while third in MLB in home runs (238), was just 17th in hits (1,345) last season. Seattle could center its offer to Arizona for Marte around second baseman Cole Young and right-hander Emerson Hancock, who are each former first-round picks.

What could halt a Marte pursuit for the Mariners, though, is them potentially preferring to focus on re-signing their starting infielders (Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez) and also keep and move Jorge Polanco – who was primarily Seattle’s designated hitter last season – to second base. In that scenario, the Mariners preserve their roster depth and/or use it for a different trade.

Trading for Marte would be a slick move by Detroit.

Yes, Gleyber Torres just put together a respectable season for the Tigers, but Marte would be an upgrade for them at second base, specifically with the bat, and allow Detroit to spend elsewhere in free agency (maybe a third baseman?). While Detroit’s offense made strides last season, it was still just 16th in MLB in hits (1,346), 14th in on-base percentage (.316) and collectively posted a mere .207/.290/.317 slash line in the postseason. Marte would give manager A.J. Hinch a proven hitter who can swing the bat for both contact and power, adding another integral piece to the long-term puzzle.

Prior to blowing a 15.5-game lead in the AL Central to the Cleveland Guardians – granted, Detroit beat Cleveland on the road in the Wild Card Series – the Tigers looked like the best team in the AL. Their starting rotation was stellar, their bullpen held its own and their offense was a well-oiled machine. The Tigers still have the pieces to get back to being that team, but to do something with it, they need to take a swing this offseason.

Detroit could base a trade package for Marte around outfielder and 2023 No. 3 overall pick Max Clark and versatile infielder Colt Keith, among other young players.

Marte would fit with any team he’s potentially traded to. But for a Tigers’ team whose time to contend for the World Series is the present, Marte could be the piece that puts them over the top.

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According to Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington, superstar right-hander Paul Skenes won’t be traded … for now.

At some point, if Pittsburgh can’t field a contending team, it will be forced to consider trade offers for arguably the best right-handed pitcher in MLB when he gets within three years of free agency – or risk losing him for nothing on the open market. That said, if Pittsburgh would actually listen to historic trade offers for the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year and 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner this offseason, which teams make the most sense to pull off a deal?

Here are the three best trade fits for Skenes (as a basis, we’ll presume that any trade offer would have to include at least five top prospects/former first-round picks).

Any team that wishes to acquire Skenes has to meet three requirements: 1) they have a proven roster that the right-hander would put over the top, 2) they have a reputable farm system and 3) they have a resume of developing young players. The Braves check all three of those boxes.

Through his first 55 MLB starts, Skenes has posted a combined 1.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 386 strikeouts and 13.5 wins above replacement in 320.2 innings pitched. He keeps runners off the basepaths, pitches deep into games and would become the ace of an already talented Atlanta pitching staff at full strength.

One could argue that Skenes would be Atlanta’s best starting pitcher since its historic rotation trio of Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine. Anchoring a rotation that includes Spencer Strider, Chris Sale, a healthy Reynaldo Lopez and one of Spencer Schwellenbach and Grant Holmes – for this exercise, one of them is traded for Skenes – Skenes would give Atlanta a top-five starting rotation.

Coming off a season that saw Atlanta miss the playoffs for the first time in eight years – and it still having not won a playoff series since the 2021 World Series – there should be a sense of urgency to get back on track. Worst-case scenario, the numbers get too high for Atlanta’s liking on a potential extension with Skenes, and it tries to capitalize on the five full seasons that it has him. In the meantime, the Braves have the track record of producing homegrown players across the board to build back up the depth they’d surrender to Pittsburgh for Skenes.

The only factor that could hinder a Skenes chase for the Braves is them already having Strider and potentially viewing healthy versions of Sale and Lopez as giving them enough top-of-the-rotation depth to not have to make a move of such substantial magnitude. 

The Astros just missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years and haven’t won a playoff series since 2023. It feels like Houston is losing its place as an AL powerhouse. Making a seismic move for Skenes erases any such doubt.

Last season, Houston’s starting rotation was tied for 13th in MLB in ERA (3.97). While respectable, this is a unit that has been thrown on its axis of late, especially with veteran Lance McCullers Jr. continuing to deal with elbow woes, among other injuries. Moreover, ace Framber Valdez is a free agent this offseason. Even if Valdez is retained, another proven arm would do wonders for this staff.

Enter Skenes, who throws an overpowering four-seamer and deploys a sweeper, split-fingered fastball, changeup and sinker – among other pitches – as part of his arsenal. The hard-throwing ace would become the new backbone of manager Joe Espada’s rotation. Combine Skenes with burgeoning star Hunter Brown, and the Astros have as potent of a one-two pitching punch as any in the sport. If Valdez re-signs, the more, the merrier, and that’s without mentioning the possibility of one of Spencer Arrighetti and Colton Gordon potentially making a jump.

Houston continues to replace outgoing veteran hitters internally and through trades (e.g. Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Pena, Yainer Diaz and Isaac Paredes). It needs to pick up the pace elsewhere if it aspires to return to being the dominant force of the American League West. Acquiring Skenes would make the Astros the best team in the division.

Why aren’t the Astros No. 1 for a Skenes trade? Because there’s a team that Skenes would fill a glaring void for, and that franchise is one that won’t be outbid by any team for a player it covets.

The Mets are the team to make a Paul Skenes trade.

While there are a handful of blossoming (Nolan McLean) and/or reputable pitchers (when healthy, Kodai Senga is a force and David Peterson has the potential to be a consistent one) in New York’s rotation, it doesn’t have a proven ace. The Mets’ starting staff finished last season with a 4.13 ERA, good for 18th in the sport. Skenes would fill the Mets’ ace void for the next decade.

The reality of MLB is that one-sixth of the sport is willing and able to spend at a different level than the field, and the Mets are one of those teams, which they put on display by signing outfielder Juan Soto to a record-shattering, $765 million contract last offseason. Under owner Steve Cohen, the Mets, without question, won’t be outbid for Skenes should he hit the open market down the road and there be determination to sign him.

That said, if half the sport is going after Skenes in a trade beforehand (for instance, this offseason), the Mets have the luxury of most of their significant transactions of late having been free-agent signings, rather than trades. This means that they’re in position to drain the top of their farm system for a player they deem worth doing so; Skenes certainly fits the bill. 

The Mets, who missed the playoffs last season, need a Cy Young-caliber arm to rise to contention and stay there for the long haul. Acquiring a 23-year-old who already has a case for being the best pitcher in the game and is nowhere near his prime would certainly be one effective way to do so.

If New York pulls off acquiring Skenes, it would make every season a World Series-or-bust mentality for the franchise, similar to the Los Angeles Dodgers – who are the only other team with a payroll exceeding $300 million. 

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Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom was voted American League Comeback Player of the Year and Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. earned the National League honor Thursday night.

Edwin Diaz of the New York Mets was selected as the Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year and Aroldis Chapman of the Boston Red Sox was picked as the Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year.

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers won the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award for the fifth straight year, matching the record Ortiz set from 2003-07, and Ohtani and the New York Yankees‘ Aaron Judge won their third Hank Aaron Awards as the most outstanding offensive performers.

Milwaukee general manager Matt Arnold became the first repeat winner of MLB’s Executive of the Year award.

DeGrom, a 37-year-old right-hander, had Tommy John surgery in June 2023, made three starts near the end of the 2024 season and went 12-8 with a 2.97 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 172 2/3 innings this year, earning his fifth All-Star selection.

Acuña, 27, tore his left ACL on May 26, 2024, and returned to the Braves this past May 23 and made his fifth All-Star team. He hit .290 with 21 home runs, 42 RBIs and nine stolen bases.

Also receiving AL votes were Baltimore pitcher Trevor Rogers, Toronto outfielder George Springer and shortstop Bo Bichette, Boston shortstop Trevor Story and right-hander Lucas Giolito and New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham. Others getting NL votes included San Francisco left-hander Robbie Ray, Philadelphia left-hander Jesus Luzardo, Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw, Milwaukee right-hander Brandon Woodruff and Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly.

Díaz also earned the reliever award in 2018 and 2022, and he became the second three-time winner along with Josh Hader. The 31-year-old right-hander was 6-3 with a 1.63 ERA, 28 saves in 31 chances and 98 strikeouts in 66 1/3 innings.

The 37-year-old Chapman, an eight-time All-Star, was 5-3 with a 1.17 ERA, 32 saves in 34 chances and 85 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings. The left-hander did not allow a hit to 50 consecutive batters from July 23 through Sept. 7. Chapman also won the award in 2019.

Chapman’s win boosted the price of his 2027 mutual option by $1 million to $14 million. The option would become guaranteed if he pitches 40 or more innings next year and is found to be healthy enough for the 2027 opening day roster. Seattle’s Andres Munoz earned $100,000 for finishing second and Kansas City’s Carlos Estévez $50,000 for third.

Ohtani, 31, hit .282 with 55 homers, 102 RBIs, 20 steals, 109 walks and 146 runs. He joined Alex Rodriguez from 2001-03 as winners of three straight Hank Aaron Awards. He was named NL MVP earlier Thursday.

Judge, 33, also won Hank Aaron Awards in 2022 and 2024. He led the major leagues with a .331 average and had 53 homers and 114 RBIs to win AL MVP honors.

Arnold’s Brewers won their third straight NL Central title in the league’s smallest market. The 46-year-old joined the Brewers as vice president and assistant general manager in 2015. He was promoted to general manager in November 2020. When David Stearns stepped down as president of baseball operations after the 2022 season, Arnold took over.

Past winners and distinguished players voted on the Hank Aaron Awards, while the DH honor is selected by club beat writers, broadcasters and public relations departments. The executive award is voted on by executives from all 30 MLB teams before the postseason.

The players for the All-MLB First and Second Teams were also announced on Thursday. 

First Team

Catcher — Cal Raleigh, Seattle

First Base — Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto

Second Base — Ketel Marte, Arizona

Third Base — José Ramírez, Cleveland

Shortstop — Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City

Outfielders — Aaron Judge, N.Y. Yankees; Juan Soto, N.Y. Mets; Julio Rodriguez, Seattle.

Designated Hitter — Shohei Ohtani, L.A. Dodgers

Starting Pitchers — Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh; Tarik Skubal, Detroit; Garrett Crochet, Boston; Yoshinobu Yamamoto, L.A. Dodgers; Max Fried, N.Y. Yankees.

Relief Pitchers — Aroldis Chapman, Boston; Jhoan Duran, Philadelphia.

Second Team

Catcher — Will Smith, L.A. Dodgers

First Base — Nick Kurtz, Athletics

Second Base — Brice Turang, Milwaukee

Third Base — Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay

Shortstop — Bo Bichette, Toronto

Outfielders — Cody Bellinger, N.Y. Yankees; Corbin Carroll, Arizona; Pete Crow-Armstrong Chicago Cubs.

Designated Hitter — Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia

Starting Pitchers — Cristopher Sánchez, Philadelphia; Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee; Bryan Woo, Seattle; Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia; Hunter Brown, Houston.

Relief Pitchers — Edwin Díaz, N.Y. Mets; Andrés Muñoz, Seattle.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Shohei Ohtani has won the fourth Most Valuable Player Award of his storied career, which is an achievement stuffed inside another achievement.

Ohtani is just the second player in MLB history to win more than three MVPs, with Barry Bonds — who stands atop the mountain with seven MVPs.

Here are three other ways Ohtani’s MVP is historically significant — not just in baseball, but in all North American sports:

1. Four MVPs

Ohtani joins an elite group across the major North American sports with his fourth MVP, as well. In the NBA, only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Michael Jordan (five), Bill Russell (five), LeBron James (four) and Wilt Chamberlain have as many or more MVPs as Ohtani. 

In the NFL, it’s just quaterback legends Peyton Manning (five) and Aaron Rodgers (four) who have managed to collect at least as many year-end honors.

Wayne Gretzky was named NHL MVP nine times, with Gordie Howe earning the award on six occasions and Eddie Shore four times. And in the WNBA, A’ja Wilson’s most recent MVP season broke her out of a tie for what had been the most in league history, and into the same company as Ohtani with four.

2. Unanimous greatness

While Bonds, Abdul-Jabbar, Jordan, Russell, Manning and Gretzky have won more MVPs in their respective leagues than Ohtani has, he has managed something none of them have: he has won four MVP awards unanimously. 

MLB has had MVP awards in both leagues since 1931, and on just 24 occasions has a player received every possible first-place vote. Four of those seasons belong to Ohtani, who also happens to be the only MLB player to unanimously win the MVP more than once.

This is not just an MLB rarity, but rare in North American sports. Warriors superstar guard Stephen Curry is the only unanimous MVP in NBA history, achieving as much for his 2015-2016 season. LeBron James, while with the Miami Heat, fell short of a unanimous vote in 2012-2013, while Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal missed out by a single vote in 1999-2000. In the NFL, Tom Brady’s 2010 win as the New England Patriots quarterback provided a unanimous MVP decision, while Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson received every first-place vote in 2019 … and just missed a second unanimous MVP win in 2024 by one vote.

Wayne Gretzky’s 1981-1982 MVP with the Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid’s 2020-2021 MVP — also with the Oilers — are the NHL’s two unanimous campaigns. The WNBA’s inaugural MVP in 1997, Cynthia Cooper, was a unanimous selection for her season with the Houston Comets, while A’ja Wilson’s 2024 season with the Las Vegas Aces was just the second in league history. And MLS has never had a unanimously chosen MVP.

Which is to say that Ohtani has more unanimous nods than every other major sports league in North America has managed.

3. Three-peat

Ohtani has also now earned three straight MVP awards, which included the 2024 season in which he became the first in MLB history to win as a full-time designated hitter. That puts him just one shy of Bonds in at least this regard, as the Giants’ slugger won four in a row from 2001 through 2004. 

But Ohtani is now tied with the NFL’s Brett Favre and the three NBA legends – Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird and Bill Russell. 

Favre won the MVP in 1995, 1996 and 1997 with the Green Bay Packers; Chamberlain was named MVP in the 1965-66, 1966-67 and 1967-68 seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers; Bill Russell won in 1961-62, 1962-63 and 1963-64 for the Boston Celtics, while Larry Bird matched the both those records in the 1983-84, 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons. 

Wayne Gretzky is on an island here: of his nine MVPs, he won eight of them in a row, starting with the 1979-80 season, and ending in 1986-87.

All that is to stay that Ohtani still has worlds to conquer.

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The Mariners will try to turn their Game 7 heartbreak into championship fuel. The Astros are hungry to get back into postseason contention after missing the playoffs for the first time in nine years. 

The Rangers desperately need their once-powerful offense to find success again while their All-Star starting pitchers are still dealing. The Athletics have a West Sacramento problem. And the Angels, once again, are facing significant challenges to build a winning club under a short timeline.

After assessing the National League Central, our series continues with the American League West. Here are the biggest needs for a division that could feature cutthroat races between at least three legitimate contenders:

Teams are listed in order of their records, best to worst, in the 2025 season.

SEATTLE MARINERS

Biggest need: 3/4 of the infield

The only infielder left over from Seattle’s hard-fought postseason run is shortstop J.P. Crawford. Everyone else, including Josh Naylor, Eugenio Suarez, and Jorge Polanco, entered free agency. But the Mariners came one win away from their first World Series appearance in franchise history, and they’d like to run it back. Now, they’re essentially at the same place they were during July’s trade deadline, before the front office added Naylor and Suarez to play first and third base, respectively. 

Re-signing Naylor should be their top priority. He was a seamless fit in Seattle, posting a 138 OPS+ in 54 games while adding the pesky attitude and competitive energy that the team lacked before the trade. Naylor, set to enter his age-29 season, is at the top of the first-base market alongside Pete Alonso, and he’s expected to receive plenty of calls from contending teams. So running it back won’t be easy for the M’s. But they should have the financial flexibility to have a splashy offseason — with Alex Bregman being another solid fit for their opening at third. 

HOUSTON ASTROS

Biggest need: Starting pitching

Sure, the Astros would like to re-sign free agent Framber Valdez, but I’m not convinced they’ll remain in the mix for their long-time ace when his price inevitably gets too steep. Valdez is the top left-handed free-agent starting pitcher on the market this winter. The highly-coveted 32-year-old would significantly improve the chances of any World Series contender. Recent history shows the Astros are comfortable backing out of a bidding war even when their high-profile players hit free agency, like they did with George Springer, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman, and Kyle Tucker. 

So if Houston moves on from Valdez, they’ll be on the lookout for a quality starting pitcher to take his place. I’m still expecting the Astros to pivot to top-tier arms, with someone like Ranger Suarez, Michael King, or Zac Gallen potentially being good fits. When healthy, Houston still has the pieces to be a threat in the division. This year they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The Astros should be plenty hungry to get back into contention. 

TEXAS RANGERS

Biggest need: Pitching depth

The Rangers were among the top 10 teams in terms of payroll, and it helped them record the best team ERA in the majors this year. They’ve since lost several of those effective arms to free agency (Tyler Mahle, Patrick Corbin, Merrill Kelly, Shawn Armstrong and more). Now the Rangers must work to revamp the pitching staff and recreate the team’s strength for 2026. A rotation of Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Jack Leiter, Kumar Rocker, Cody Bradford and Jacob Latz only works if their veteran starters stay healthy. And pinning their hopes on 38-year-old deGrom and 36-year-old Eovaldi combining for 50–60 starts again is a lofty, if unwise, expectation. 

It would help to add another back-end starter and bullpen arms to safeguard against injuries and bolster a strong pitching staff. But, as terrific as those arms were in 2025, the Rangers ultimately didn’t qualify for the playoffs due to a lack of offense. Their 92 wRC+ ranked 25th in MLB, pointing to a second-straight down year for a lineup that won the World Series in 2023. Marcus Semien and Joc Pederson are owed a combined $43 million in 2026, and they have to start pulling their weight. Ditto for Adolis Garcia, who has hit below-league average for the past two seasons. The Rangers can stock up on excellent pitching all they want, but they’ll need their lineup to bounce back to contend again. 

ATHLETICS

Biggest need: Starting pitching

The A’s were actually in a better spot at this time last year, because they were able to land an established starter like Luis Severino to pitch in West Sacramento. But, after seeing his results in the hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park, it will be extremely challenging to persuade any quality starter to pitch there. Severino went 2-9 with a 6.01 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in 15 home games, compared to his 6-2 record with a 3.02 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 14 road games this year.

Career numbers will take a hit and future contract value will depreciate for any pitcher willing to take the mound for the A’s while they continue to play in West Sacramento. That’s not a great combination when the club needs an established veteran arm or two to lead what was otherwise an encouraging offensive performance from the young A’s lineup in the second half of the season. The A’s ranked 27th in team ERA this year, and it’s difficult to see that position improving in 2026.

LOS ANGELES ANGLES

Biggest need: Starting pitching

New Angels manager Kurt Suzuki and GM Perry Minasian are on one-year deals … and the team is not a contender as the roster currently stands. Coming off a 90-loss season, Los Angeles needs starting-pitching help to even consider vying for a wild-card spot, but they might have to trade one of their offensive assets to get there. And if they want to improve via free agency, shopping in the mid- to low-tier market range for starters isn’t going to be a significant enough upgrade to the rotation to make a difference in this division. So, barring some shocking and splashy moves, the Angels appear headed toward extending the longest active postseason drought in MLB. Los Angeles has missed October baseball since 2014. But hey, at least they have Mike Trout.

Deesha Thosar covers Major League Baseball as a reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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Two-way star Shohei Ohtani won his fourth MVP award in a unanimous vote for the National League honor on Thursday and New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge earned the American League accolade for the third time.

Ohtani won the MVP for the third straight year, his second in the NL with the Los Angeles Dodgers after two in the AL with the Los Angeles Angels. All four have been unanimous.

Judge became the Yankees’ fourth three-time winner, edging Seattle’s Cal Raleigh with 17 first-place votes to 13 for the switch-hitting catcher. The vote was the closest for an MVP since the Angels’ Mike Trout topped Houston’s Alex Bregman by 17-13 in 2019.

Ohtani became just the second player to win at least four MVP awards, trailing only seven by Barry Bonds.

The 31-year-old Ohtani is the first to win in each league twice after getting the AL honor in 2021 and 2023. He signed with the crosstown Dodgers the following offseason and won NL MVP in 2024 during his first season in Chavez Ravine. He’s also won the World Series in both his seasons with the Dodgers.

Ohtani won all four of his MVPs in unanimous fashion with all 30 first-place votes.

Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber finished second with 23 second-place votes while New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto was third with four.

Ohtani hit .282 and led the NL with a 1.014 OPS. He also had 55 homers, 102 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.

The right-hander returned to pitching in June after missing 1 1/2 seasons on the mound because of an elbow injury. He struck out 62 batters over 47 innings, slowly increasing his workload while preparing for the postseason.

Ohtani continued to shine in October with arguably the greatest individual game in MLB history. He hit three homers at the plate while striking out 10 over six dominant innings on Oct. 17, leading the Dodgers over the Milwaukee Brewers to finish an NL Championship Series sweep.

Schwarber — who earned a $50,000 bonus for finishing second — was a finalist for the Phillies after hitting an NL-best 56 homers and leading the big leagues with 132 RBIs. The three-time All-Star played in all 162 games, anchoring a lineup that won 96 games.

Soto overcame a slow start to the season to have his typically stellar offensive output. The four-time All-Star — who signed a $765 million, 15-year deal last December — had 43 homers, 105 RBIs and an NL-best 38 stolen bases. He received a $150,000 bouns for finishing third in the MVP voting.

Judge, who won the AL award in 2022 and 2024, joined Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle as three-time MVPs with the Yankees. The 33-year-old outfielder led the majors with a .331 batting average and 1.144 OPS while hitting 53 homers.

The prior winner of back-to-back AL MVPs was Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera in 2012 and 2013.

Raleigh led the big leagues with 60 homers, the most for a player primarily a catcher. He started 119 games behind the plate and another 38 at designated hitter.

The 28-year-old also had a career-high 125 RBIs, leading the Mariners to one of their best seasons in franchise history.

Cleveland’s José Ramírez finished third.

Arizona’s Geraldo Perdomo finished fourth in the NL voting, earning him $2.5 million annual salary increases in 2028 and 2029 along with the price of Arizona’s 2030 club option.

Reporting by The Associated Press. 

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Cleveland Guardians star pitcher Emmanuel Clase was arrested Thursday at John F. Kennedy Airport on charges accusing him of taking bribes to help gamblers win bets on his pitches.

Clase, 27, was taken into custody after arriving on a morning flight from his native Dominican Republic, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

The three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year is expected to appear in Brooklyn federal court later Thursday for his arraignment.

His Guardians’ teammate Luis Ortiz, who was also implicated in the alleged scheme, pleaded not guilty Wednesday.

The two pitchers have been on non-disciplinary paid leave since July, when MLB began investigating what it said was unusually high in-game betting activity when they pitched.

According to prosecutors, the two accepted thousands of dollars in bribes to help two unnamed gamblers in their native Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 on bets placed on the speed and outcome of their pitches.

They allege that Clase, who is on the fourth season of a $20 million, five-year contract, began providing the bettors with information about his pitches in 2023, but didn’t ask for payoffs until earlier this year.

Prosecutors say Clase often threw the rigged pitches on the first pitch of an at-bat, making sure to throw the ball in the dirt and well outside the strike zone in order to assure the umpire called it a ball rather than a strike.

During an April game against the Boston Red Sox, Clase even spoke to one of the betters by phone just before taking the mound, prosecutors contend. Minutes later, the bettor and his associates won $11,000 on a wager that Clase would toss a certain pitch slower than 97.95 mph (157.63 kph).

Prosecutors say Clase recruited Ortiz to join the scheme earlier this year and sometimes provided money to the gamblers to fund the bets.

Michael Ferrara, one of Clase’s lawyers, has said the Guardians’ all-time saves leader maintains his innocence.

“Emmanuel Clase has devoted his life to baseball and doing everything in his power to help his team win,” Ferrara said in a statement Wednesday.

Chris Georgalis, a lawyer for Ortiz, has also denied the charges, saying payments between his client and individuals in the Dominican Republic were for legal activities.

Clase and Ortiz are each charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery. The top charges carry a potential punishment of up to 20 years in prison.

Following the pitchers’ indictments, Major League Baseball announced new limits on betting on individual pitches.

The charges against Clase and Ortiz are the latest gambling scandals to roil American professional sports following the landmark 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized sports betting in most states.

Last month, more than 30 people, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, were arrested in a gambling sweep that involved leaked inside information about NBA athletes and rigged poker games backed by Mafia families.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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