Jose Abreu sets all-time rookie records for homers and RBIs - MLB

White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu smacked his 10th home run yesterday and the rookie from Cuba now holds the MLB record for the most April homers and the most April RBIs (31) by a rookie in baseball history.

Albert Pujols previously held the rookie RBI record with 27 and Pujols, Carlos Delgado, and Kent Hrbek held the rookie homer record with nine apiece. Scott Merkin of MLB.com notes that Abreu is also the first player in baseball history to have four or more RBIs four times in his first 26 career games.

Beyond the rookie marks, Abreu leads the American League in homers, RBIs, and slugging percentage while ranking sixth in OPS and suddenly the White Sox’s six-year, $68 million investment in the 27-year-old looks like it might be one of the shrewdest moves of the offseason.

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ST. LOUIS — Miles Mikolas is sticking with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The right-hander signed a three-year, $55.75 million contract on Friday that will carry through the 2025 season.

The new deal replaces a $68 million, four-year contract signed in February 2019 that covered the 2020-23 seasons and was set to pay $15.75 million this year.

Mikolas will receive a $5 million signing bonus payable July 1 and will make $18.75 million in 2023 and $16 million in each of the following two seasons. Mikolas can earn a $250,000 bonus for winning a Cy Young Award, $50,000 for All-Star election or selection or winning a Gold Glove, $100,000 for League Championship Series MVP and $150,000 for World Series MVP.

Mikolas is scheduled to make the second opening-day start of his big league career next Thursday when the Cardinals host Toronto. Mikolas went 12-13 with a 3.29 ERA last season while helping St. Louis to the NL Central title.

“Miles stands among the top pitchers in the game today, and has continued to provide a steady presence for us both in the rotation and inside the clubhouse,” St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement.

Mikolas is 45-40 with a 3.79 in 143 games with San Diego, Texas and St. Louis. He recently pitched six shutout innings in two appearances for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic.