How did Alek Manoah meet his fiancee Marielena Somoza? Tracing the recently engaged couple's journey as partners

It's been a year to remember for Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Alek Manoah. The 25-year-old starter from Homestead, Florida, was one of the top pitchers in the American League last season. Manoah finished with a 16-7 record while posting a 2.24 ERA with 180 strikeouts.

While his incredible season with the Blue Jays may be reason enough to celebrate, the 6-foot-6 pitcher recently became engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Marielena Somoza.

"ALEK MANOAH IS ENGAGED OMG congrats to the king, this is so cute!!!" @BiggioApologist tweeted.

Manoah stole the show in front of a large group of people at a New Year's Eve party, proposing to Marielena after several years together. The young couple originally met while playing varsity athletics with the NCAA’s West Virginia Mountaineers.

"Wishing a Happy Birthday to Marielena Somoza! #HailWV," WVU Volleyball tweeted.

Somoza, who hails from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, played parts of three seasons with the volleyball team. Alek Manoah starred for the university's baseball team at the same time as Somoza played for the Mountaineers' volleyball team. While Somoza played for three seasons with WVU, Manoah was only there for one season before being drafted by the Blue Jays.

"happy birthday to my fiancé!!!!! thank you for being my rock and loving me the way you do. life with you is a dream and i couldn’t imagine it any other way ✨ i love you way beyond words, can’t wait to spend forever with you!" @mairelena_somoza posted.

The young couple appear to be incredibly in love and supportive of one another. Wishing them nothing but the best as their lives continue to grow together.

A look at Alek Manoah's MLB career

Alek Manoah was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 11th pick during the star-studded 2019 MLB draft, which also featured Bobby Witt Jr. and Adley Rutschman. Needless to say, Manoah has more than lived up to the expectations thrust upon him.

Over two seasons in the MLB, the imposing starting pitcher has posted a 25-9 record with a 2.60 ERA. The ace pitcher has thrown 308.1 innings for the Toronto Blue Jays, racking up 307 strikeouts.

"Alek Manoah posted a 2.24 ERA in 2022 - only 3 qualified starters had a better one. He earns his first career #AllMLB First Team selection," MLB tweeted.

Last season, Manoah finished third in American League Cy Young voting behind eventual winner Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros, as well as Dylan Cease of the Chicago White Sox. If he continues to perform at this level, it's impossible to rule out his opportunity to win at least one Cy Young Award in his career.