After posting a 2.24 ERA in 196.2 innings in 2022, Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah was on top of the world.
He was one of the AL Cy Young finalists that year, and his career was on the upswing.
Regression, attitude, and conditioning issues, among other factors, combined to derail his career last year, though.
In a season that included stints in the Complex League for a reset and in Triple-A, Manoah pitched just 87.1 innings at the major league level, with a horrible 5.87 ERA.
The Blue Jays believed that a good offseason of work (with the extended break that comes with it) would do wonders for him.
The season hasn’t started, but if his first spring start is any indication, the outlook doesn’t look promising.
“Well, that’s it for Alek Manoah’s 1st spring start. He hit three batters and allowed a couple of loud doubles on sliders over 1.2 IP. He threw 17 of his 38 pitches for strikes…” Blue Jays insider Keegan Matheson tweeted.
Well, that’s it for Alek Manoah’s 1st spring start.
He hit three batters and allowed a couple of loud doubles on sliders over 1.2 IP. He threw 17 of his 38 pitches for strikes… #BlueJays
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) February 27, 2024
Manoah just couldn’t solve the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday.
He pitched 1.2 innings and allowed four runs, all earned.
His slider, once a top-notch pitch, was obliterated on Tuesday, and his control was all over the place.
It’s hard to hit three batters in just 1.2 frames, but he did it.
Perhaps he is working on some grip or a new pitch, but if he is, the results aren’t encouraging.
It wouldn’t be wise to lose all the faith for just one abbreviated start, but Manoah will need to be much better in his next outing to avoid losing his spot in the Jays rotation.
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