6:23 PM ET Bryce Harper claimed his second Most Valuable Player Award on Thursday, edging out Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. and several others in what seemingly became a wide-open race in the National League. Harper captured 17 of the 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Soto (six first-place votes) and
MLB
4:04 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” CHICAGO — Major League Baseball owners have not yet decided to lock out players if there is no new labor deal after the Dec. 1 expiration of the current one, commissioner Rob
3:02 PM ET NEW YORK — An expansion of housing accommodations is expected to provide more than 90% of minor league players with furnished housing accommodations across every level, Major League Baseball announced Thursday. The policy will have exceptions, including players with major league uniform player contracts and minor leaguers scheduled to make six-figure salaries
6:39 PM ET The Colorado Rockies and catcher Elias Diaz agreed to a three-year extension on Thursday, the team announced. Terms were not disclosed, but according to multiple reports, the deal is worth $14.5 million. The contract covers one year of arbitration and two free-agent years. Diaz, 31, set a career high this season with
9:36 AM ET A United States bookmaker is facing more than a $1 million loss on a bet that was placed in March and will be decided Thursday night. On March 19, a bettor in Nevada placed a $30,000 bet on Shohei Ohtani to win the American League MVP award at 30-1 odds with a
7:00 AM ET It was a performance unlike any we’ve witnessed in our lifetimes. Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels — who is expected to take home the American League Most Valuable Player trophy — starred both on the mound and at the plate in 2021. As a starting pitcher, Ohtani posted a 9-2
6:56 PM ET Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes capped an impressive breakout 2021 season by taking home the NL Cy Young Award on Wednesday, finishing ahead of finalists Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Max Scherzer. Burnes narrowly beat out Wheeler for the award, earning 151 points to Wheeler’s 141. Both
6:18 PM ET Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Robbie Ray capped a career 2021 season with the Cy Young award on Wednesday, besting Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees and Lance Lynn of the Chicago White Sox. Armed with a four-seam fastball, slider, curveball and change-up repertoire, Ray was 13-7 with a 2.84 ERA (1.04
8:41 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” CHICAGO — New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said Wednesday the team is “not going to be afraid to get into the free-agent market” and suggested the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal would
6:12 PM ET ESPN News Services The Houston Astros and right-hander Justin Verlander have agreed to a one-year, $25 million contract with a player option for a second season, sources confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday. Verlander won the American League Cy Young Award for Houston in 2019 but made just one appearance during the pandemic-shortened