AL West

The Los Angeles Angels announced Saturday that they agreed to a one-year, $30 million contract with two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani for the 2023 season, thus avoiding arbitration.

Ohtani is still scheduled to become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2023 campaign unless he and the Angels can reach a long-term deal before then.

The Ohtani contact is a record for an arbitration-eligible player (11% above old record of $27M by Betts). His $24.5M raise Is the biggest year-to-year increase ever for a player, and it puts him in the top 10 as of now for 2023 salary and AAV.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 1, 2022

The 28-year-old Ohtani had a historic season in 2021 with a .257/.372/.592 slash line, 46 homers, 100 RBI and 26 stolen bases as an offensive player. He also went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 156 strikeouts over 130.1 innings in 23 starts on the mound en route to being named American League MVP.

Per FanGraphs wins above replacement, Ohtani's 8.1 mark (5.1 as a position player; 3.0 as a pitcher) in 2021 was the best in Major League Baseball.

Corbin Burnes of the Milwaukee Brewers (7.5) and Zack Wheeler of the Philadelphia Phillies (7.3) were the only other players with a WAR over 7.0.

Per The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh, Ohtani accounted for 40 percent of the entire wins above replacement total for the Angels last season.

Some of that was because of bad luck with injuries, particularly to Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon. That duo only combined to play 94 games.

Ohtani is one of the most unique athletes in all of professional sports. MLB took notice of his universal appeal by essentially making him the centerpiece of the 2021 All-Star Game. He participated in the Home Run Derby, started the Midsummer Classic as a pitcher and hit leadoff for the AL.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred presented Ohtani with the Historic Achievement Award in October. He became the first person to receive the award, which was originally created in 1998, since Derek Jeter following his retirement after the 2014 season.

Prior to the 2021 campaign, Ohtani had already proved his value as a hitter.

The Japanese star won American League Rookie of the Year in 2018 when he posted a .925 OPS, 22 homers and 61 RBI as a hitter. He also had a 3.31 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 51.2 innings on the mound, but he had to undergo Tommy John surgery after the season.

The elbow surgery prevented Ohtani from pitching in 2019. He still had a solid offensive year with a .286/.343/.505 slash line and 18 homers in 106 games.

Ohtani isn't hitting at quite the same level as he did last year, but it's only because he set the bar so high. He's still got a .276/.359/.529 slash line with 34 homers, 94 RBI and 11 stolen bases.

What little value Ohtani has lost as a hitter in 2022, he's more than made up for with his performance on the mound. He has a 2.35 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 213 strikeouts in 161 innings, putting him firmly in the Cy Young race.

Even though the Angels remain a mess overall, Ohtani's presence gives them a chance to compete for a playoff spot next season, and perhaps buys them some time to work on a longer-term deal as well.

The longest active playoff drought in North American professional sports no longer belongs to the Seattle Mariners.

Thanks to Cal Raleigh's walk-off homer in a 2-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Friday the Mariners clinched their first postseason berth since 2001.

Droughtless in Seattle. A walk-off homer sends the @Mariners to the postseason.

(MLB x @CapitalOne) pic.twitter.com/BjaugGSyv2

— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2022

Cal Raleigh is the 1st player in MLB history to hit a pinch-hit, walk-off home run to clinch a playoff spot for his team.

h/t @EliasSports

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 1, 2022

In the 21 years between playoff appearances, the Mariners have had nine winning seasons and hadn't won more than 90 games prior to this season since 2003 (93-69). The 2001 team tied the MLB record with 116 wins during the regular season, but lost to the New York Yankees in the ALCS.

The Mariners were the only team in the four major professional sports in North America (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL) that had a playoff drought of at least 20 years coming into this season.

The Philadelphia Phillies are the only other MLB team that hadn't made the playoffs in at least 10 seasons entering 2022.

Seattle had an opportunity to ends its drought in 2021 with a surprising 90-72 record, but it was eliminated on the final day of the regular season when the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees clinched the American League's two wild card spots.

Rather than rest on their laurels for 2022, general manager Jerry Dipoto made aggressive moves both during the offseason and leading up to the trade deadline to make sure the Mariners were a playoff contender again.

The Mariners signed reigning AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray to a five-year, $115 million contract in December. He turned in another strong season with a 3.58 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 209 strikeouts in 183.1 innings.

Dipoto took advantage of the Cincinnati Reds' offseason fire sale by acquiring Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez in March. Suarez proved to be one of the driving forces in the lineup with a team-high 31 homers.

The Mariners went back to the Reds prior to the trade deadline to acquire Luis Castillo to boost their starting rotation. The right-hander has been excellent since the move, posting a 3.34 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 10 starts with Seattle.

Castillo agreed to a five-year contract extension worth $108 million on Sept. 24. The deal will keep him with the Mariners through the 2027 season with a vesting option for 2028.

The biggest roster decision came at the end of spring training when top prospect Julio Rodriguez made the Opening Day lineup.

"It’s time for Julio Rodríguez to play in the big leagues," Mariners manager Scott Servais told reporters on April 4. "He’s just a fun kid, and the joy and the excitement he plays with is contagious. It's going to serve our team very well, and he's a really good player on top of it. It should be fun to see how that plays out."

It played out very well for the Mariners. The 21-year-old Rodriguez is arguably the front-runner for AL Rookie of the Year after making the All-Star team and posting a .280/.342/.502 slash line with 27 homers and 25 stolen bases through 129 games.

Julio Rodríguez becomes just the fourth first-year rookie with a 20-20 season, joining Mitchell Page (1977 A's), Ellis Burks (1987 Red Sox) and Marty Cordova (1995 Twins).

And it's just the 10th 20-20 season in Mariners history.

— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) August 24, 2022

The Mariners made Rodriguez the face of their franchise in August by signing him to a contract extension that could end up being worth up to $470 million over 17 years. He has been on the injured list since Sept. 23, but could return to the lineup as soon as Monday.

Despite all of the talent on the roster, things didn't start out well for the Mariners this season. They were 29-39 after a shutout loss to the Los Angeles Angels on June 19. They have gone 57-31 in 88 games since that day.

Playing in the same division as the Houston Astros, who own the AL's best record, made it easy to overlook what the Mariners have accomplished. They have a lineup and pitching staff that ranks in the top eight in the AL in FanGraphs' value metric.

The American League is very deep heading into the postseason, but the Mariners are as dangerous as any team because of their offensive potential and the one-two punch of Ray and Castillo at the top of their rotation.

Having already locked up a division title, the Houston Astros secured home-field advantage for the American League playoffs Friday.

The American League runs through Houston. pic.twitter.com/xjtg2ffL1f

— Houston Astros (@astros) October 1, 2022

The Astros clinched the AL's best record thanks to the New York Yankees' 2-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

Houston sealed its sixth consecutive postseason berth on Sept. 16. It won the AL West three days later with a 4-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. It marks the fifth division title in the past six years for the franchise.

While most of the attention in the AL this season was on the New York Yankees, the Astros quietly blew past them for the league's best record. They took advantage of the Pinstripers' second-half collapse to get there, but they have also been phenomenal with a 43-22 record since the All-Star break leading into Friday.

The Astros entered the All-Star weekend with a 59-32 record, 4.5 games behind the Yankees for the top spot. They moved into sole possession of first place on Aug. 12 and never looked back.

Houston has won at least 100 games for the fourth time since 2017. It had just one 100-win season in its first 54 years of existence from 1962-2016.

During this run of success, the Astros have had home-field advantage twice in the playoffs (2017 and 2019). They made it to the World Series both years, winning in 2017. They also got to the Fall Classic last year as the No. 2 seed in the AL but lost to the Atlanta Braves in six games.

The Astros are the only team in Major League Baseball with at least one playoff series win in each of the past five seasons. They can extend this run to six seasons by playing a majority of their games in the AL Division Series from the comforts of Minute Maid Park.

Many believe that Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani isn't interested in joining the New York Yankees as a free agent, but that apparently isn't the case.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Ohtani doesn't have any trepidations about joining New York as had been previously perceived.

"People close to Ohtani maintain it’s wrong that he is anti-New York," Heyman wrote. "They contend he has never expressed those sentiments, and furthermore that he’d be open-minded if he becomes a free agent. They add that he’s fully committed to the Angels for now, as his incredible performance shows."

Heyman noted the Yankees "love" Ohtani and attempted to acquire him from the Angels at this year's trade deadline. The two-way phenom is eligible for one more year of arbitration in 2023 and would become an unrestricted free agent the following year if he doesn't reach a long-term deal with Los Angeles.

The Yankees were not included in the final list of Ohtani's preferred teams during the sweepstakes for his services prior to the 2018 season. In addition to the Angels, the other finalists were the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers.

According to Heyman, "two baseball executives suggested they could see the Giants landing Ohtani should he leave the Angels."

Ohtani has not indicated whether he actually intends to leave Los Angeles, but that hasn't diminished other teams' interest in him. The 2021 AL MVP is in the midst of another incredible season and looks to be entering his prime.

The Angels have not had success on the field during Ohtani's tenure. This will be the eighth consecutive season that the team has failed to make the playoffs, and it hasn't finished with a record above .500 since 2015.

It all makes for a highly anticipated free-agency class of 2023. As Heyman noted, "monetary offers could be wildly different" at the end of next season, which could play a major factor in Ohtani's decision.

Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani will be the focus of an upcoming interview special, Searching for Ohtani.

Fox Sports' Ben Verlander traveled to Japan to interview fans and former teammates and coaches of Ohtani.

"I don’t speak their language, they don’t speak mine," he said to USA Today's Bob Nightengale. "But what we understood was the language of Shohei Ohtani. It’s the power of Shohei, and what he’s done, with all of their hopes and dreams coming true. I’m privileged to talk about what he means to people all over the globe. It’s an honor to do this and celebrate one of the best players we’ve ever seen."

Plenty of Japanese stars have found success in MLB, but none has done what Ohtani is doing. His two-way ability is almost unparalleled across modern baseball history.

After winning the American League MVP in 2021, the 28-year-old continues performing at an elite level as both a hitter and a pitcher. He's slugging .530 with 34 home runs and boasts a 2.52 FIP with 203 strikeouts across 153 innings.

Searching for Ohtani will be another way to celebrate his achievements to date and understand the impact he has in his home country. The special will air Oct. 18 on FS1.

The Seattle Mariners agreed to a five-year contract extension with pitcher Luis Castillo on Saturday.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Castillo's extension is worth $108 million and can max out at $133 million with a sixth-year vesting option.

BREAKING: Right-hander Luis Castillo and the Seattle Mariners are in agreement on a five-year, $108 million contract extension, sources tell ESPN. A sixth-year vesting option can take it to $133 million.

M’s got Castillo at the trade deadline and now lock him up for half-decade.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) September 24, 2022

The Mariners acquired Castillo from the Cincinnati Reds in a July 29 trade. The 29-year-old has gone 3-2 with a 2.83 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP and 64 strikeouts in 54 innings over nine starts for the M's.

The Mariners have a bright future ahead of them. Superstar rookie outfielder Julio Rodríguez, who became the youngest player in MLB history to post 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases in a single season, signed a contract extension through 2034.

The 21-year-old should anchor the Mariners' lineup for a decade-plus while Castillo anchors the rotation for at least much of the next decade.

The present Mariners are pretty good themselves, as they appear destined for their first playoff appearance since 2001. They'll need to hold off the Baltimore Orioles, who are three games behind the M's for the final American League Wild Card spot, but time is running out for the O's with just a week-and-a-half remaining in the regular season.

Castillo has played a large part in the Mariners' second-half success, and he could also be a massive addition for the playoff run as well. At his best, Castillo is a shutdown ace capable of carrying the team.

He's helped create a deep and talented rotation in Seattle that also includes 2021 AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray and Logan Gilbert, who is 13-6 with a 3.13 ERA.

For now, Castillo will have few turns in the rotation before the playoffs. His first start with his new contract will occur Sunday at the Kansas City Royals.

For the first time in his career, Los Angeles Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani struck out 200 batters in a season.

Ohtani accomplished the feat Friday against the Minnesota Twins, fanning Gary Sánchez on a curveball in the bottom of the fourth inning.

200ks on the season for Ohtani!!@Angels | #GoHalos pic.twitter.com/9kU5AqsVxn

— FanDuel Sports Network West (@FanDuelSN_West) September 24, 2022

The 28-year-old was the first Angels pitcher to reach 200 strikeouts since Jered Weaver in 2010. Weaver, a three-time All-Star, struck out 233 batters, the 10th-highest total in franchise history and most since Nolan Ryan fanned 260 in 1978. Ryan holds the Angels record, which is also the modern MLB mark, with 383 in 1973.

Ohtani entered Friday's game with a 13-8 record, 2.43 ERA and 1.04 WHIP and 196 strikeouts in 148 innings across 25 starts. The dual threat also entered slashing .271/.359/.536 with 34 home runs, 89 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 145 games.

Ohtani has one more year of arbitration eligibility remaining before he will become an unrestricted free agent.

Seattle Mariners star Julio Rodríguez has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a lower back strain. The M's have called up outfielder Taylor Trammell from Triple-A Tacoma in a corresponding move.

Rodríguez has remained largely healthy throughout his rookie season; however, he exited Thursday's matchup against the Oakland Athletics with low back tightness after experiencing the same pain earlier in the month.

When healthy, the 21-year-old has been one of the best young players in the league. In 129 games, he's hitting .280/.342/.502 with 27 home runs, 73 RBI and 25 stolen bases. His performance led to a selection to the MLB All-Star Game, and he'll also likely finish toward the top of the Rookie of the Year voting.

When Rodríguez is sidelined, Dylan Moore and Jarred Kelenic see time filling in for him in center field. However, the former is more likely to play as the latter has only appeared in 41 games this season.

Moore has appeared in 94 games this season and is hitting .215/.361/.395 with six home runs, 19 RBI and 18 stolen bases.

The Mariners are second in the AL West with an 82-67 record and will need Rodríguez to remain healthy to lock up a playoff spot.

Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout's ranking of the best outfielders in Major League Baseball includes three MVP winners and possibly a fourth, depending on how things play out this season.

In an interview with Chris Henderson of WKRN, Trout included himself, Aaron Judge, Mookie Betts and Bryce Harper on his outfielder Mount Rushmore.

So! I asked @miketrout to give his mt Rushmore of outfielders all time, well he gave me his current 4. I think we can all agree right?

Trout @TheJudge44 @bryceharper3 @mookiebetts are his 4!

Full interview: https://t.co/trxOACyPZJ@JomboyMedia #MLB #WRKN pic.twitter.com/Kwe2IaL8Ln

— Chris Henderson (@See_Hendo) September 23, 2022

Henderson asked Trout for his top-four outfielders of all-time, so it's possible he misheard that and offered his list of the best current players.

Given how well the four superstars Trout listed have played over the course of their careers, perhaps he does believe they are the four best outfielders in MLB history. You could do a lot worse than building a quartet of Trout, Judge, Betts and Harper.

Trout is likely to go down as the best player of this generation. Since his first full season in 2012, Trout's 80.5 FanGraphs' wins above replacement is more than 27 wins better than the No. 2 player (Paul Goldschmidt, 53.3).

Betts, Harper and Judge have all had fantastic careers and some of the best individual seasons of any player from this generation. Betts' AL MVP season in 2018 produced 10.6 fWAR, better than any single-season total from Trout.

Harper became the youngest player to be a unanimous MVP when he won the award at the age of 22 in 2015.

Judge doesn't yet have an MVP on his mantle, but it will likely be coming when the awards are announced in November. The New York Yankees slugger is having a historic season with 60 homers. He also leads the AL in batting average (.316), on-base percentage (.422), slugging percentage (.703) and RBI (128).

The Houston Astros are champions of the American League West for the fifth time in six years.

They secured the division title with a 4-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday.

Champs of the AL West once again! #CLINCHED pic.twitter.com/mA6tYVOcjk

— MLB (@MLB) September 20, 2022

Houston found itself in a familiar position this offseason after Carlos Correa signed with the Minnesota Twins. A year earlier, George Springer bolted to join the Toronto Blue Jays, which followed Gerrit Cole signing a record-setting deal with the New York Yankees ahead of the 2020 campaign.

pic.twitter.com/jLGAaM4Owv

— Richard Justice (@richardjustice) August 26, 2022

Some of the faces change, but the success remains the same. This year's Astros team has already improved upon its 95-67 record in 2021 and is poised to be the fifth squad in franchise history to hit 100 wins.

Yordan Alvarez has helped to offset Correa's absence offensively. The 2019 AL Rookie of the Year is enjoying a career year. Through 123 games, he has hit 37 home runs and posted a .304/.406/.626 slash line.

Alex Bregman has enjoyed a return to form as well. His .846 OPS and 140 OPS+ are on pace to be his highest since 2019.

That's to say nothing of the excellent contributions of Jose Altuve and Kyle Tucker.

As good as this offense is, pitching might be what propels Houston to the Fall Classic.

On the mound, Justin Verlander hasn't missed a beat after Tommy John surgery cost him the entire 2021 season. The two-time Cy Young winner is the MLB leader in ERA (1.78) and sports a 2.64 FIP and an 0.83 WHIP.

Verlander battled a calf injury recently and threw five no-hit innings in his first start back. It doesn't appear that will be much of an issue ahead of the postseason.

Framber Valdez has been the rotation's workhorse. The 28-year-old southpaw has logged 185.2 innings and gone the distance on three occasions. His 26 quality starts are the best across the majors.

As if finding a breakthrough against Verlander or Valdez isn't difficult enough, manager Dusty Baker can lean on Will Smith, Ryne Stanek, Hector Neris, Rafael Montero and Ryan Pressly in high-leverage situations.

The Astros are showing no signs of slowing down, and a third trip to the World Series in four seasons could be in the cards.