Alek Manoah was supposed to have his storybook comeback this season.
The Toronto Blue Jays pitcher appeared to be on the cusp of stardom entering the 2023 season. He was an All-Star in 2022, finishing third in the AL Cy Young award vote after posting a 16-7 record with a 2.24 ERA and 0.992 WHIP. At 25 years old, Manoah appeared set to be the star the Blue Jays needed.
Instead, everything fell apart in 2023. Manoah struggled through a disastrous season, posting a 5.87 ERA and a 1.740 WHIP over his 87.1 innings, striking out 79 batters with 59 walks. He was sent to the minors twice during the season, refusing to report to Triple-A the second time.
That was all in the past. Manager John Schneider met Manoah in Florida in December and Schneider and pitching coach Pete Walker kept in contact with him during the offseason. Manoah reported to spring training in a better mindset, his confidence back.
But in his first spring outing he allowed four runs on three hits and a walk, hitting three batters. That outing was a complete disaster.