Mountaineers in the Pros

Alek Manoah’s Blue Jays Clinch MLB Wild Card Birth

Published

2 years ago

September 30, 2022

Alek Manoah’s season of milestone moments is going to make its way to October, as he will have an opportunity to make some memories in the MLB postseason.

Even though the Yankees ended up being crowned AL East champions, Manoah and the Blue Jays will still have a chance to win the American League pennant. Toronto clinched a Wild Card birth Thursday night thanks to Baltimore’s 5-3 loss to the Red Sox.

The former West Virginia pitcher turned MLB All-Star tweeted his excitement about reaching his first professional postseason.

Yoooooo we’re going to the POSTSEASON!!!
— MANOAH (@Alek_Manoah6) September 29, 2022

After going 9-2 with a 3.22 ERA and 127 strikeouts as a rookie last year, Manoah owns a 15-7 record with an ERA almost a full point better than in 2021 at 2.31 and 176 punch outs in 190.2 innings of work. He’s also now destined for a postseason start.

Alek Manoah Achieves Another MLB Milestone, Surpassing 300 Career Strikeouts

Manoah was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 11th round of the 2019 draft. Before being drafted, he finished off a stellar college career at WVU, recording a 2.81 career ERA with the Mountaineers. He was named the Big 12’s best pitcher in 2019 after going 9-4 with a 2.08 ERA and totaling 144 strikeouts in 108 1/3 innings.