Former Blue Jays' pitcher in mid-season form during Spring Training debut

It was one of the more surprising roster moves the Toronto Blue Jays made in 2025 when they designated Alek Manoah for assignment in September. The Blue Jays made a number of moves at the deadline and they needed to open up a spot on the active roster for a returning Anthony Santander. That led to the team cutting Manoah who spent all of 2025 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

Manoah was picked up by the Atlanta Braves, then cut by them in the offseason and subsequently signed with the Los Angeles Angels. In his first go-around with his new team, Manoah didn't just impress on the mound, he looked like he was in mid-season form.

Former Blue Jays' pitcher in mid-season form during Spring Training debut

In two innings of Spring Training action on Sunday (Feb. 22), Manoah threw two scoreless innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks where he didn't allow a hit. While he walked two batters, he threw 44% of his pitches for strikes and his four-seam fastball averaged 93.1 mph.

That's where his velocity sat in 2022 during Manoah's All-Star campaign with the Blue Jays when he produced a 6.0 bWAR season. That year, Manoah, in his second year in the big leagues, made 31 starts, pitched to a 2.24 ERA in 196.2 innings and stuck out 180 batters with a 0.992 WHIP. He finished third in Cy Young Award voting and even got some down votes in the AL MVP vote.

But Manoah struggled mightily the following year, and was sent all the way down to Single-A to try and work on some things. In 2024, he looked like he was getting back on the right track with a 3.70 ERA in 24.1 innings pitched in five starts, but he hit the IL and hasn't been on a major league mound since.

It's a step in the right direction for Manoah who was one of the most promising young pitchers this Blue Jays front office had drafted since taking over in Toronto in the winter of 2015. While Manoah could build upon this and get back to his All-Star form in LA, it would be hard to fault that same front office for letting him go. It's the high risk, high reward business they have found themselves in as they got as close as they have ever come to achieving their ultimate goal.

The Blue Jays also built up a healthy level of pitching depth in the offseason and so if Manoah does get back to his old-self on the mound, the Blue Jays rotation should be strong and deep enough to withstand the loss of Manoah.