Blue Jays’ Alek Manoah Turns Salty Statement into Sponsorship Nod

The fiery Toronto ace had a few choice words for Boston’s Bobby Dalbec, afterward spinning the exchange into an endorsement plug.

As Blue Jays ace Alek Manoah showed during the All-Star Game, he’s not afraid to speak his mind. That description proved itself to be true once again during Saturday’s game against the Red Sox, when he and Boston’s Bobby Dalbec got into a bit of a shouting match following an inning-ending strikeout.

The hard-throwing righty is one who wears his emotions on his sleeves, and Dalbec was on the receiving end of his excitement this time. Afterward, Manoah offered a tongue-in-cheek explanation for what the two were jawing about.

“I think I had said, ‘Let’s go get some BioSteel,’” Manoah said, according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. “He was like, ’No, man, you need to go get some Gatorade,’ so I was like, ’No, man, you need to sit down. I’m going to go get some BioSteel.’”

BioSteel is a sports hydration company that Manoah just signed an endorsement deal with, so kudos to the All-Star for being both entertaining and a reliable company man.

After impressing as a rookie last season, the 24-year-old Manoah has shined as a bona fide ace this year. He’s 11–4 with a 2.24 ERA through his first 19 starts, leading the American League with 120 2/3 innings pitched.

Given his success, ability to pitch deep into games and fiery demeanor, it’s safe to assume Saturday won’t be the last time Manoah gets into a jawing match on the mound. We’ll see if BioSteel gets another shoutout afterward.

More Extra Mustard Coverage:

Daily Cover: Tour de France Femmes Is a Women’s Sports Triumph Long in the Making 


Published
Nick Selbe
NICK SELBE

Nick Selbe is a programming editor at Sports Illustrated who frequently writes about baseball and college sports. Before joining SI in March 2020 as a breaking/trending news writer, he worked for MLB Advanced Media, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. Selbe received a bachelor's in communication from the University of Southern California.