JOE MAUER

Gerrit Cole got back on track with six sharp innings, and Giancarlo Stanton hit two of the New York Yankees’ four home runs to fuel a 9-6 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

All rights reserved)FILE - Philadelphia Phillies' J.T. The Philadelphia Phillies and two-time All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto agreed on a $115.5 million, five-year contract, two people familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. Both people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, because Realmutos deal was pending a successful physical. Realmuto and the Philadelphia Phillies finalized their $115.5 million, five-year contract on Friday.

FILE - Philadelphia Phillies' J.T. The Philadelphia Phillies and two-time All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto agreed on a $115.5 million, five-year contract, two people familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. Realmuto agreed Tuesday on a $115.5 million, five-year contract, two people familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. Realmuto gets $20 million next season, of which $10 million is deferred, with $5 million each payable in 2026 and 2027.

Lindor, the star shortstop acquired last week by the New York Mets from Cleveland, got the largest of the deals at $22.3 million. Bellinger and Seager got big raises after helping the Los Angeles Dodgers win heir first World Series title since 1988. New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, coming off his second straight injury-wrecked season, agreed at $10,175,000. Ace pitcher Walker Buehler asked for $4.15 million and was offered $3.3 million, and catcher Austin Barnes asked for $2 million and was offered $1.5 million. Also exchanging were New York Mets third baseman-outfielder J.D.

FILE - New York Yankees' DJ LeMahieu celebrates at second base after hitting a two-run double during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins at Yankee Stadium in New York, in this Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, file photo. The New York Yankees and AL batting champion DJ LeMahieu worked Friday, Jan. 15, 2021, to put in place a six-year contract worth about $90 million, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. LeMahieu, who turns 33 in July, became the first player to win undisputed batting titles in both leagues. He won his first AL batting title last year at .364, the highest average for an AL batting champion since Minnesota’s Joe Mauer hit .365 in 2009, after winning the NL championship with Colorado in 2016. A three-time All-Star, LeMahieu signed a $24 million, two-year contract with the Yankees in January 2019.

The .245 big league batting average was the the lowest since .237 in 1968 and down from .252 last year. LeMahieu hit .364 for the New York Yankees, the highest for an AL batting champion since Minnesota’s Joe Mauer hit .365 in 2009 and well ahead of 2019 AL batting champion Tim Anderson of the Chicago White Sox, who finished second at .322. LeMahieu won the NL batting title with Colorado in 2016. “You've got to just roll with it.”Soto batted .351 for Washington and at 21 years, 11 months, 2 days became the youngest NL batting champion. Bieber and the Chicago Cubs’ Yu Darvish tied for the major league lead in wins with eight.

After 60 games this year, it will already be time to determine who wins those awards. Only one Cy Young winner over the past 20 seasons has had more than the nine wins Verlander had after 60 games last year. Mauer and Morneau have the highest and lowest batting averages for any MVP through 60 games since 2000. In 2008, nine years after Chipper Jones was the NL MVP, he was hitting .409 through Atlanta's first 60 games. Williams hit .406, only one point lower than he was through Boston's first 60 games that season.