Manoah continues his meteoric rise

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Alek Manoah was the 11th overall pick in the 2019 draft out of West Virginia University. The Blue Jays selected him with visions that he could one day be a middle- to front-of-the-rotation starting pitcher. An imposing presence at 6-foot-6 and 285 pounds, they hoped he would become a power pitcher and workhorse.

He initially went to short-season Class-A Vancouver and threw just 17 innings in six starts there. Then in 2020, when COVID-19 hit, he was one of the players the Jays brought up to the alternate site to work out and develop as minor league seasons were cancelled. 

Amazingly, Manoah started the 2021 season at Triple-A. It was an aggressive placement, considering how little experience he had, but he clearly showed progress and capability while working out at the alternate site. He proved he was worthy of the organization’s confidence, going 3-0 with a 0.50 ERA in three dominant starts. Manoah was quickly promoted to the majors, where he has gone 17-3 with a 2.59 ERA over parts of the past two seasons.

This season, 11 of his 12 starts have been quality starts (at least six innings pitched while allowing three earned runs or fewer). In the one start that didn’t qualify, Manoah tossed five innings and allowed two runs. He has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this season, currently sporting an 8-1 record with a 1.67 ERA.

Things just don’t happen this way. Certainly, the Jays thought Manoah could be very good when they drafted him, but he has exceeded their expectations. The club could have never expected such a rapid progression to the majors, especially with the way the pandemic stifled development for so many young players. Big-bodied pitchers tend to take time getting their