'Two Different Paths': On Erik and Alek Manoah's Shared Big League Dream

The Manoah brothers had two different paths to professional baseball, but both still eye on a big league reunion

Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports and Dan Powers via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Erik Manoah was a catcher’s nightmare in little league. He threw the heat but couldn’t control it—pitches soaring to the backstop, hit batters, and bouncers in front of the plate. After a few teammates balked at the idea of catching for him, they turned to the youngest player on the team, Erik’s brother Alek.

“I’ll catch him,” Alek told his father, “I’m not scared.”

Playing up three years to ball alongside his brother, Alek donned the chest protector and mask before setting up behind the plate. On the first pitch, Alek didn’t even get his glove up. As the ball hammered into his chest the Manoahs’ parents had a momentary panic, but not Alek. He reached for the ball, gripped it, and hucked it back out to his brother on the mound.

From then on Alek was Erik’s catcher, and like any good battery mates they pushed each other. Soon after Erik transitioned from infielder to pitcher, Alek did too. When Erik began closing out games, Alek did too. After high school, Erik earned his spot in pro ball and Alek was only a few years behind him. And 15 years later, on the cusp of a major league reunion, they continue to push each other.

The brothers stopped playing on the same little league team when Alek was about 12, but their paths didn’t formally split until Erik signed his contract with the New York Mets, a 13th round pick in the 2014 draft out of South Dade High School.

Joining professional baseball as an 18-year-old is hard for most, and Erik was no exception. The righty posted a 5.82 ERA in his first full season, was traded a year later, released by the Angels, and had to earn his way back from Indy League. Erik has no regrets, he was young—young enough to make a lot of stupid mistakes, he said. He shut people off and grew angry instead of growing as a person and ballplayer. The challenges matured Erik, but they also acted as a lesson for his younger brother.

“I always tell him to be grateful for my life and for my mistakes," Erik said. "Because being the line leader, it has its pros and has its cons."

Alek saw his brother struggle on the field for the first time since those wild-throwing days in little league. When the Texas Rangers called with an offer in the fifth round of the 2016 draft for the younger Manoah to turn pro out of high school, Alek said no.

But the lessons of Erik’s path stretch beyond Alek’s decision of when and where to begin his career. Having an older brother pitching darts in the Mets organization solidified Alek’s dream. When his high school teammates were going out on Fridays and Saturdays with practice the next day, Alek made baseball a seven-day-a-week job. He knew what his future was, and the work it demanded.

The younger Manoah learned to accept failure. By seeing the adversity pro ball can deliver, Alek understood it was part of the game, he said, understood that he was going to fail. It was that mindset that helped him avoid any prolonged rough patch, soaring through the Blue Jays minor league system and pushing into the majors as just the second player from his draft class.

Even when Alek made it to the big leagues, making 20 starts for the playoff pushing Toronto Blue Jays and solidifying his spot as a cornerstone of the franchise, the brothers continue to support and push one another. Erik was there when Alek made his MLB debut, able to take time away from his own baseball career to stand and scream alongside his family and friends in the Bronx.

Alek Manoah is the second @BlueJays pitcher to post 6+ scoreless IP in his MLB debut.

(Via @SlangsonSports) pic.twitter.com/iT6xFj827c

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 27, 2021

With Erik pitching out of the pen in the Minnesota Twins upper minors in 2021, most of the brothers’ outings happened at the same time so they didn’t get to watch each other often. They’d watch back highlights sometimes, but Erik prefers just looking at the box score and picturing Alek’s start in his mind, he said. When 10 strikeouts pop up on the younger brother’s stat line, Erik knows Alek was nasty that day. When there were a couple walks and runs, he knew his brother had to battle, problem solve. After a rough outing, they’ll shoot over a text or chat on the phone.

“It’s kind of funny,” Alek said. “Early on it was kind of like alright I’m gonna learn from you, the bigger brother. Now he’s asking me what’s it like.”

They’re just conversations between brothers and they often focus on what’s most important to the Manoahs — family and baseball. Erik will comment on the big leaguer they idolized growing up that Alek struck out that night, or they’ll give each other advice on the little things they’ve noticed on the mound. Alek’s slider is one of his best weapons, but he admits his brother’s changeup is far better than his, so tips are appreciated. The conversations motivate Alek, he said, reminding him the hunger that his brother and every other minor leaguer has to earn their way to the big leagues, to take his job.

Alek is here and now it’s Erik’s turn—the goal is a reunion. With Erik entering free agency, they don’t know if the major league meetup will come in opposing dugouts or by donning the same jerseys like they did growing up. But, they’re confident it’ll happen.

“Two different paths,” Alek said. “But they’re both going to meet in the end.”