WVU Baseball Product Alek Manoah Posts Strong Spring Training Performance

If Spring Training is any indication, Alek Manoah looks to be picking up right where he left off after his remarkable 2022 season.

Manoah flashed his brilliance on the mound with an impressive performable in Toronto’s exhibition game against Tampa Bay on Sunday. He pitched a full six innings, only allowing one run and five hits. The Blue Jays ace also struck out four batters and walked just one on the day.

Puma Came To Play 😤

Alek’s Day: 6 IP, 4 Ks, 1 ER pic.twitter.com/Np3oufsbVR

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 19, 2023

Despite Manoah’s solid outing, it is a good thing this game did not count in the standings or as part of his record since the former Mountaineer didn’t receive any run support from his teammates and took the 1-0 loss in the game.

The 2023 season will be Manoah’s third in Major League Baseball. In 2022, he posted a 16-7 record, a 2.24 ERA, 0.992 WHIP and 180 strikeouts during a season that saw him make the All-Star team for the first time, achieve several personal career milestones like surpassing 300 strikeouts, start game 1 of the Wild Card Round and finish third in the American League Cy Young race.

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.