VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR.

The Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is doing his best to become the next Yankees villain. He said the Bronx Bombers were the "easiest team" to beat last season.

A total of 170 major league players agreed to contracts in the hours before Friday night’s arbitration deadline to exchange proposed salaries with teams, and just one reached a multiyear deal: Minnesota right-hander Chris Paddack.

Juan Soto, Pete Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reached big-money agreements on one-year contracts as 170 players avoided salary arbitration with deals and 33 exchanged proposed figures with their teams.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is doing just fine in Toronto, but if he does decide to leave, there is one team he refuses to play for: the New York Yankees.

Astros rookie shortstop and AL Championship Series MVP Jeremy Peña won his first Gold Glove Award and Houston right fielder Kyle Tucker joined his teammate on the list announced before Game 3 of the World Series.

The Toronto Blue Jays have rewarded John Schneider for his strong performance as their interim manager.

There’s a whole lot riding on Alek Manoah’s first career playoff start, but the Toronto Blue Jays All-Star right-hander isn’t the least bit fazed about facing the Seattle Mariners in Friday’s wild-card opener.

The entire Major League Baseball playoff picture is now set.

Randy Arozarena hit his 20th homer and drove in six runs as the Tampa Bay Rays beat Toronto 10-6, tying the Blue Jays at the top of the AL wild-card standings.

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole twice banged on the dugout roof, shouting in frustration and getting booed as scuffling New York lost for the 15th time in 19 games, beaten by the Toronto Blue Jays 5-2.

Kevin Gausman tossed seven sharp innings and the Toronto Blue Jays became the latest team to shut out the New York Yankees, beating the AL East leaders 4-0.

George Springer went 5-for-5, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a three-run homer to cap a five-run second inning, and the Toronto Blue Jays routed the slumping New York Yankees 9-2.

Ramón Urías hit a three-run homer in the first inning, and Anthony Santander, Ryan Mountcastle and Austin Hays also went deep to lift the Baltimore Orioles to a 7-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Giancarlo Stanton and Byron Buxton homered back-to-back in the fourth inning to rally the American League over the National League 3-2 in the All-Star Game.

Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw will start for the National League on Tuesday night in the first All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium since 1980, and Tampa Bay’s Shane McClanahan will be on the mound for the American League.

Red Sox lefty Chris Sale is set to make his season debut when he starts against Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field on Tuesday night.

Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a throw bust through the webbing of his glove and the Seattle Mariners took advantage for their eighth straight win, beating the Blue Jays 6-5 on two home runs by Carlos Santana.

Los Angeles will be well represented in the July 19 All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium.

Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels were elected Friday to start in the July 19 All-Star Game along with outfielders Mookie Betts and Trea Turner of the host Dodgers.

The last time Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Kyle Gibson faced the St. Louis Cardinals, they hit four consecutive home runs off him in the first inning.

MJ Melendez and Emmanuel Rivera drove in two runs apiece, leading Brady Singer and the Kansas City Royals over the Toronto Blue Jays 8-4 to end a three-game losing streak.

Angels star Mike Trout is likely to have a big rooting section at Citizens Bank Park all weekend for a series against the Phillies.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered off Shohei Ohtani for the first time, and George Springer hit a leadoff home run in the Toronto Blue Jays’ 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

Gleyber Torres drove in all New York’s runs with a go-ahead, three-run homer off José Berríos in the fourth inning and a two-run single, leading the surging Yankees over the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 for their 15th win in 17 games.

Aaron Judge hit a mammoth three-run drive in the ninth inning for his first walk-off home run in the major leagues to give the New York Yankees a 6-5 comeback victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Justin Verlander and the Astros try for their eighth straight win when they visit Joe Ryan and the first-place Twins in a matchup of American League contenders with identical 18-11 records.

All-Star aces Max Scherzer, Shane Bieber and Gerrit Cole all got early showers.

Gleyber Torres homered early, then hit a go-ahead single in the ninth inning as the New York Yankees won their 10th straight game, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2.

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has hit five home runs in his last five games, part of a surge that’s helped New York win nine in a row.

Hunter Greene has a chance to stand out in this era of triple-digit fastballs and high strikeout totals.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays wrap up their four-game series at Yankee Stadium, a day after the slugger hit three home runs and a double despite a nasty gash.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. shook off a bloody gash on his right ring finger to hit three home runs against the rival Yankees, including two off ace Gerrit Cole, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat New York 6-4.

Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. shook off a bloody gash on his right ring finger to hit his second homer of a game against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole.

Cleveland rookie Steven Kwan hit.

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and five players from the World Series champion Atlanta Braves are among the players who are headed toward salary arbitration hearings that will occur during the regular season after failing to agree to contracts for 2022.

Cleveland ace Shane Bieber limbered up in Guardians gear, Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. began taking grounders and new St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol signed autographs as spring training camps in Florida and Arizona finally opened to big leaguers.

The Toronto Blue Jays have reached an agreement with right-hander Kevin Gausman on a five-year, $110 million contract, pending a physical, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press late Sunday.

Toronto left-hander Robbie Ray bounced back from a dismal season to win the AL Cy Young Award and Milwaukee righty Corbin Burnes returned from a bout of COVID-19 to win the NL’s top pitching prize.

Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels has been selected major league player of the year by Baseball Digest and eBay.

The pairings for the baseball playoffs are all set.

Trea Turner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston’s Yuli Gurriel won their first batting titles in a season of boom and bust that saw four teams lose 100 games for only the third time, and four 90-game winners in the AL East alone.

Red Sox ace Chris Sale takes the mound in Washington with a chance to pitch Boston into the postseason.

Four teams are separated by two games in the AL wild-card chase, with the Yankees clinging to a one-game lead for the top spot with two games remaining.

Gary Sánchez and Rougned Odor both struck out with two runners on to blunt a ninth-inning rally and the New York Yankees’ lead atop the AL wild-card race got even tighter with a 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Zack Wheeler pitches Tuesday night for Philadelphia in the opener of a pivotal three-game series at Atlanta.

Kevin Kiermaier was hit by a pitch, apparent retribution for scooping up a Toronto scouting report two days earlier, and the Tampa Bay Rays clinched a postseason berth with a 7-1 victory over the Blue Jays.

Kevin Gausman returns to the mound — and plate — as he tries to help the Giants protect their lead in the NL West.

Kevin Gausman returns to the mound -- and plate -- as he tries to help the Giants protect their lead in the NL West.

Salvador Perez hit his 46th home run, breaking Johnny Bench’s record for most by a catcher in a season to highlight the opener, then the Kansas City Royals completed a doubleheader sweep by beating the Cleveland Indians 4-2.

Formerly a fleet outfielder, Anthony Gose returned to the majors five years later Monday night as a rocket-armed reliever for the Cleveland Indians, flashing 100 mph heat and finishing his outing by fanning Royals slugger Salvador Perez.

Shohei Ohtani is set to pitch for the Angels against Oakland on Sunday a few days after manager Joe Maddon contemplated shutting down the two-way star with arm soreness.

Shohei Ohtani will pitch for the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday after his sore arm felt much better in a bullpen session.

Candy Digital will release an exclusive Lou Gehrig non-fungible token during the Fourth of July weekend.

Mets rookie Pete Alonso has a million-dollar swing. New York's newest slugger outlasted a worn-down Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the final round of the All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday night to win $1 million nearly double his 2019 salary. Pete Alonso, of the New York Mets, reacts during the Major League Baseball Home Run Derby, Monday, July 8, 2019, in Cleveland. John Minchillo / APNeeding 23 homers to beat Guerrero, Alonso connected for a homer to left-center before flipping his bat high into the air and hugging his pitcher, cousin Derek Morgan. Alonso has hit 30 home runs this year and will play in Tuesday night's All-Star Game.