Alek Manoah was still working on a name for himself before his breakout 2022 season. In 2023, though, it appears everyone will know his name.
MLB Network has held a series of fan votes during the offseason to gauge its viewers’ opinions on the top players in the sport. On Wednesday, MLB Now released the top-10 list of starting pitchers, and Manoah slotted in at No. 8. That slots him in as the sixth-best pitcher in the American League, according to baseball fans.
The former WVU ace did, however, miss MLB Now’s official list, which was unveiled on the show on Wednesday evening.
Manoah finished third in the AL Cy Young voting in 2022, racking up 87 points and falling only behind Dylan Cease and Justin Verlander, the winner. He helped lead the Toronto Blue Jays back to the playoffs in his second season in the Majors, earning an All-Star bid in the process. He posted a 16-7 record with a 2.24 ERA and an 0.992 WHIP for Toronto.
The Blue Jays open their 2023 season on March 30 at the St. Louis Cardinals, the start of a 10-game road trip to begin the campaign.