Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah was among the finalists for the American League Cy Young in 2022.
He couldn’t quite win, though: Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander took it home in an unanimous vote.
Chicago White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease finished second, and Manoah came up third.
The league-wide expectation was that Verlander would win his third Cy Young, so there is nothing to be ashamed of for the young Blue Jays ace.
In fact, it was his best season yet, hopefully a sign of things to come for him.
“All-Star. 2nd-lowest single-season ERA in team history. Youngest Cy Young Award Finalist in team history. Six is SENSATIONAL!,” the Blue Jays tweeted, honoring their up-and-coming starter.
⭐️ All-Star
⁰⭐️ 2nd-lowest single-season ERA in team history
⁰⭐️ Youngest Cy Young Award Finalist in team history⁰⁰Six is SENSATIONAL! #NextLevel pic.twitter.com/kDYJ0bvRMk— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) November 17, 2022
For reference, Manoah uses number six while playing for Toronto.
After debuting last year with a 3.22 ERA in 111.2 frames, the Blue Jays gave Manoah the chance to pitch a whopping 196.2 frames.
The 24-year-old posted an elite 2.24 ERA over that workload, striking out 180 hitters and posting a solid 4.1 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) output.
An Elite ERA
When it comes to preventing runs, Manoah had few peers.
His 2.24 ERA was a tad higher than Verlander’s 1.75, but he did pitch significantly more than the Astros ace, now a free agent.
Manoah, on the other hand, is a young stud who will be in Toronto’s control for several more years.
In reality, he is in the best possible spot for future success: he will win a lot of games, as he is pitching with one of the best offenses in baseball behind him.
The Blue Jays are extremely competitive and it’s in great part because of Manoah.
He is good, he pitches a lot of innings, and he is young.
We have every reason to think a Cy Young Award can be in store for him in the future.
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