The Toronto Blue Jays were hoping Alek Manoah could be the ace of their staff this season.
He entered the year coming off his first All-Star appearance and a third-place finish in AL Cy Young voting.
Manoah entered his age-25 season with sky-high expectations but this season has been a disaster.
In 13 starts this season, Manoah has a record of 1-7 with a 6.36 ERA.
He has thrown 58 innings and has 48 strikeouts along with 42 walks.
That many walks are not going to cut it at any level and it was a major reason why Manoah has struggled.
It got so bad for Manoah that the Blue Jays decided to send him down to the Complex League to work things out.
While his first start in the FCL was poor, Blue Jays manager John Schneider took some positives from it.
According to MLB Network Radio, Schneider said: “What we took out of it was much more positive than what his line score showed.”
Alek Manoah's stats in his first Florida Complex League start might not look so pretty on paper, but #BlueJays manager John Schneider still saw positive signs from the 2022 All-Star as he tries to get back on track.@BlueJays | #NextLevel pic.twitter.com/KZglx8RY0G
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) June 28, 2023
Manoah pitched 2.2 innings while giving up 10 hits and 11 earned runs.
But Schneider mentioned how he was happy with Manoah’s command of his fastball.
Regaining his command should be the main focus for Manoah.
He will not be effective if he cannot consistently throw strikes.
The Blue Jays seem content with keeping Manoah in the minors as long as he needs.
Adding him back to the roster for the stretch run would be ideal, but that might not happen.
This issue is something that can change the outlook of Manoah’s career.
The Blue Jays must figure out a way to help him get back on track.
NEXT: Marcus Stroman Comments On Alek Manoah's Struggles
