Alek Manoah Shines in Blue Jays-Yankees Start

24 years old, 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds. Toronto Blue Jays (3-1) right-handed starter and West Virginia baseball alumnus Alek Manoah made noise on the mound in Monday’s 3-0 win over the New York Yankees (2-2).

An already imposing figure 10 inches above the field, Manoah threw a lights-out day, allowing only a single hit amid six scoreless frames.

🗣 @Alek_Manoah6. IS. THAT. GUY. pic.twitter.com/dGswuUzfzi

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) April 12, 2022

Despite a string of four walks in six batters, Manoah kept his composure. He added seven strikeouts to his first win of the season; his pitches switched fluidly between a smoker of a fastball and a change-up that stayed in the high 80s, the latter of which could be a precursor to changing his style from what Mountaineer fans saw at Monongalia County Ballpark.

“I’m learning when to mix it in, how to mix it in,” Manoah said of his change-up. “I feel like in college, I didn’t really need it. In the Minor Leagues, I didn’t really need it. Last year, I didn’t really need it a ton, but being able to mix that in and keep hitters off balance will be huge.”

2021, Manoah’s rookie season (9-2), vacillated between a mid-90s fastball, a slider, and the change-up. In one game of 2022 action, Manoah’s pitch-by-pitch breakdown saw change-up usage nearly double to 17 percent. If that kind of production continues, Manoah is primed to become a permanent fixture at Rogers Centre.