The Toronto Blue Jays were hoping that Alek Manoah could be the ace on their staff this season.
He entered the year after his first All-Star Game appearance and a third-place finish in the AL Cy Young voting.
Manoah entered his age-25 season with sky-high expectations, but this season has been a disaster.
In 13 starts this season, Manoah is 1-7 with a 6.36 ERA.
He has pitched 58 innings and has 48 strikeouts along with 42 walks.
That a lot of walks is not going to be enough at any level and was one of the main reasons Manoah has struggled.
It got so bad for Manoah that the Blue Jays decided to send him to the Complex League to figure things out.
While his first FCL start was poor, Blue Jays manager John Schneider brought out some positives.
According to MLB Network Radio, Schneider said, “What we put out was a lot more positive than what his line score showed.”
Alek Manoah’s stats from his first Florida Complex League start may not look so good on paper, but #BlueJays Manager John Schneider still saw positive signs from the 2022 All-Star Game as he tries to get back on track.@BlueJays | #Next level pic.twitter.com/KZglx8RY0G
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) June 28, 2023
Manoah pitched 2.2 innings and allowed 10 hits and 11 earned runs.
But Schneider mentioned how happy he was with Manoah’s dominance of his fastball.
Reclaiming his command should be Manoa’s main goal.
He won’t be effective if he can’t consistently throw strikes.
The Blue Jays seem content to keep Manoah in the minors for as long as he needs.
Adding him back to the roster down the stretch would be ideal, but that might not happen.
This problem is something that can change Manoa’s career outlook.
The Blue Jays must find a way to help him get back on track.
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Marcus Stroman comments on Alek Manoah’s struggles
