Alek Manoah, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays
Saying that Alek Manoah had a “down year” would be an understatement.
After a stellar 2022 season in which he was an All-Star and came in third in AL Cy Young voting, his 2023 couldn't have been more opposite. Over just 19 starts in the Majors, he had a disappointing 5.87 ERA and a 1.740 WHIP.
He was sent all the way down to the Florida Complex League to sort things out but once he was recalled, the issues continued. He was sent down again but was so frustrated with the decision that he didn't report to Triple-A Buffalo. It was a distraction and a headache for a team that had World Series aspirations.
The differences between 2022 and 2023 for the big right-hander are evident. In 2022, he was able to miss more bats (5.4 percent 2022 barrel rate vs. 9 percent in 2023), keep the walks to a minimum (6.5 percent 2022 walk rate vs. 14.2 percent 2023 walk rate) and his WHIP was much lower (0.99 in 2022 vs. 1.74 in 2023).
Manoah is capable of being a big piece for a World Series contending team, and it’s just about reverting to what he was doing just one year before. Manoah is just 25 years old, and his situation screams that he is a “change of scenery” candidate. There's no doubt that Manoah has the stuff to be a highly effective pitcher in the bigs, and whatever team taps into that potential can reap the rewards for a long time.