From Rookie Sensation to Out-of-Game
Alek Manoah burst onto the scene as a 2021 rookie, delivering a shutout against the New York Yankees and quickly establishing himself as a top prospect in the American League.
Early Promise
His breakout season saw him finish 9-2 with a 3.22 ERA over 111.2 innings, earning a ninth-place finish in Rookie of the Year voting and a third-place nod for the AL Cy Young Award the following year.
In 2022 he added an All-Star Game appearance, fanning the side in the second inning while mic’d up for FOX, and posted a 2.24 ERA with a 0.992 WHIP across 196.1 innings in 31 starts.
Struggles and Setbacks
But the tide turned in 2023. After a 3-9 record and a 5.87 ERA in 19 games, the Blue Jays sent him to the minors to work on control issues, and a right ulnar collateral ligament injury forced him to miss the remainder of the season.
Following the injury, Manoah was designated for assignment by Toronto in September 2025, cleared waivers, and was claimed by the Atlanta Braves, though he never took the field with them.
Recent Moves
Less than a month later the Los Angeles Angels signed him to a one-year, $1.95 million contract, hoping the veteran right-hander could revive his career with the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees.
His tenure with the Bees was brief and ineffective. In ten starts he posted a 1-7 record and a 16.14 ERA, including a final outing on July 28 against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys where he allowed seven earned runs in 3.1 innings, walking six and striking out none.
Earlier in the season he had posted a 9.82 ERA in three starts before being sent down, and his overall Triple-A numbers included a 16.14 ERA and a 1-7 ledger.
Now, at 28, Manoah faces an uncertain future, but his track record of resilience suggests he may still find a path back to the majors.
Alek Manoah #6 of the Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth inning of their MLB game at Rogers Center on July 29, 2023 in Toronto.Photo by (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
