MLB
With the eleventh pick in the 2019 MLB draft, the Toronto Blue Jays selected Alek Manoah. The right hander out of West Virginia is 6’6” and 260 lbs. He throws in the mid-to-upper 90s and has a hard slider. His college opponents seemed to have some difficulty with his pitches. Manoah’s 2018-2019 college ERA sits pretty at 2.08. He had 144 strikeouts and only 27 walks in 108.1 innings this season.
College Days
Manoah struggled in his first two seasons at West Virginia, splitting his time between the rotation and the bullpen. He was not drafted out of high school. Last summer just after the 2018 draft finished, he headed to the Cape Cod league and led the league in strikeouts. At this point, the Blue Jays started taking a special interest in him.
As the Blue Jays watched Manoah all summer and into this past spring, they saw something more than just a big guy with a hard fastball. They saw an athlete, someone interested in putting in the necessary work to succeed. The way he improved since last year’s draft told them everything they think they need to know about him. They are excited about his continuing development throughout their system. Manoah’s main two pitches are his fastball and slider, but the Jays say his change-up isn’t far behind. With a bit more work, he should be able to use all three at any time.
Jays Draft History
The Jays have a history of taking pitchers first, one they broke last year taking high school SS Jordan Groshans in the first round. Nate Pearson is currently the only pitcher in the Jays’ farm system to be excited about. The starting rotation in the big club is struggling. As the rebuild continues, the front office is clearly invested in the future of the team. They proved that yesterday, taking two pitchers in the first two rounds of the draft.
Blue Jay Connection
One thing to note as this draft progresses is that Braden Halladay, son of former Blue Jay and about-to-be-inducted HOFer Roy Halladay, is draft eligible this year. He has committed to Penn State for the fall. He has also, however, worked out for a few teams including the Blue Jays. Jays fans would certainly not be opposed to him joining the organization. The likelihood of him going to college instead increases as each round of the draft passes.
Written by Susannah Schmidt
Follow us on Twitter @T101Sports and @T101SportsMLB
Follow me on Twitter @SusannahElyse
Photo credit to Blue Jays via Twitter
