Toronto Blue Jays ace, and 2022 All-Star, Alek Manoah was sent down to the rookie-level Florida Complex League on Tuesday after a horrific start to the season.
After his abysmal start versus the Houston Astros Monday, the Blue Jays knew something needed to change. He only managed one out before getting hooked. As the Astros’ bats jumped all over him with six runs capped by a grand slam.
Manoah broke into the league in 2021 and impressed in his rookie season. He boasted a 9-2 record and significant numbers. His 139 ERA+ and 18 RAA (runs above average) landed him 8th in Rookie of the Year voting.
In 2022, Manoah built on his solid foundation of a rookie season. His impressive first half guided him into starting the All-Star Game. He finished the season with an ERA+ of 168, 37 RAA, and his WAA (wins above average) was a whopping 4.4. All of this accumulated in finishing third in the Cy Young race.
After two great seasons, high expectations of Manoah were the norm. Maybe the pitch clock has something to do with it, but Manoah has not been the same pitcher we have been watching for the past two seasons. His slider, which was ranked the 18th-best pitch in baseball last season by Baseball Savant, now has a +11 run value and is ranked the second-worst pitch in baseball.
His ERA+ has fallen under the league average (100) to 65, his RAA is -17, his WAA is -1.7, and his 6.5 walks per nine innings (BB/9) have translated into the most walks in the league with 42. Manoah is currently ranked 111 out of 114 of all pitchers in the MLB by Baseball Savant. Hopefully, rookie ball can him help gain his confidence back so we can see him trash-talk on the main stage once again.
