In Photos: Toronto Blue Jays ace Alek Manoah announces engagement to longtime girlfriend with Instagram post

Alek Manoah has been an absolute stud for the Toronto Blue Jays. He's become the ace they have needed and is a part of the elite young core the Blue Jays boast. He gives his fans a lot to cheer about.

Now, the star pitcher has something he can cheer about himself. He is now officially engaged to his longtime girlfriend Marielena Somoza. The couple shared photos to her Instagram to celebrate the occasion.

With the new year finally here, Manoah took the opportunity to make a big life change. Somoza, of course, said yes, captioning the post:

"Best way to start the year... YES a million times!!!"

The couple have been together since their college days, where both were star athletes at West Virginia University.

Somoza is from Puerto Rico. She played three seasons with the WVU volleyball team. During that same time, Manoah spent just one season with West Virginia. This was because he was drafted by the Blue Jays in 2019.

Manoah was selected in the first round that year and has quickly blossomed into one of baseball's best and brightest stars. The couple have not yet announced a date for the wedding.

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What is Alek Manoah's contract?

Since Alek Manoah is only recently out of the minor leagues, he hasn't had a chance to sign that first major contract.

He's under team control for a long time, which makes him an excellent player to build around. He will be with Toronto, barring a trade, through the 2027 season when he can enter free agency.

Baseball contracts are unique in the world of sports as they rely on many different aspects. For Manoah, the amount of time spent in the minors wasn't as long as other players, but he's still controlled by the Blue Jays for a while.

Alek Manoah has developed into an ace

Presumably, sometime over the next few years, two milestones will occur for Manoah. He will get married before 2027 in all likelihood. He may also get an early extension from Toronto to keep him there on a more valid contract for the foreseeable future.