Alek Manoah's Struggles Continue, Leaving Fans Wondering What's Going Wrong

After an all-star season in 2022, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah is having a rough time in 2023.

Alek Manoah #6 of the Toronto Blue Jays looks on from the mound
Mark Blinch / Getty Images
Alek Manoah #6 of the Toronto Blue Jays looks on from the mound

After an all-star season in 2022, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah is having a rough time in 2023.

Last season, Manoah allowed 49 earned runs in 196.2 innings leaving him with the fourth-best ERA in Major League Baseball. This season has been nothing short of a disaster for the 25-year-old pitcher who's given up 41 earned runs in only 58 innings posting a 6.36 ERA, which ranks in the bottom five in the league.

During last night's game against the Houston Astros, Manoah gave up six runs and put away a single batter before being pulled from the game. While some people may have thought his struggles could have been early season jitters, he's yet to recapture the magic in his pitching that he had just a season to go.

Alek Manoah's entire outing today:
single
bunt single he tried to blow foul 👇
single
flyout
single
walk
grand slam
single
single

Crazy.pic.twitter.com/maCoAyVaxN

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) June 5, 2023
Twitter: @CodifyBaseball

Codify Baseball showed a replay of Manoah attempting to blow a bunt out into foul territory and compared the situation to when Lenny Randle of the Seattle Mariners successfully did what Manoah couldn't.

View this video on YouTube

youtube.com

Given his astronomical ERA, many fans fear games where Manoah is scheduled to start. It might be difficult to bounce back at this stage in the season, some fans believe his best bet is to go to the Jays' AAA team in Buffalo and regain his confidence.

He needs a AAA regroup

— Michael (@kluggis) June 6, 2023
Twitter: @kluggis

Get him a ticket to Buffalo asap.

— Captain Leafsaholic (@CaptLeafsaholic) June 6, 2023
Twitter: @CaptLeafsaholic

Some are even too scared to watch games where Manoah is pitching.

checking in on whether alek manoah is turning his season around tonight: pic.twitter.com/DbBOJy8Tnv

— alex (@steven_lebron) June 5, 2023
Twitter: @steven_lebron

Despite many mean-spirited tweets, some Jays fans hope that Manoah can find his groove back.

My heart breaks for Alek Manoah. The guy loves Toronto and has been so great with fans. He’s in a really tough place right now and just can’t figure it out. The last thing he needs to hear is booing from #BlueJays fans. pic.twitter.com/NaFFOtNFFO

— Cheryl Fullerton 🇨🇦🏳️‍🌈⚾️🇺🇦 (@CherylFull) June 5, 2023
Twitter: @CherylFull

Someone broke down what changed between Manoah's 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Velo matters.

In 2022, 41% of Alek Manoah's fastballs were 94+mph.

This season, that's down to 16%. pic.twitter.com/zqiOSRqOcB

— Chris Black (@DownToBlack) June 6, 2023
Twitter: @DownToBlack

Regardless of the reasons why Manoah is struggling, it'll be worth seeing how the Jays attempt to remedy an already dire pitching situation.

Latest in Sports