Inside The Blue Jays

Alek Manoah Dominates Triple-A Start with Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins in Attendance

The Blue Jays No. 6 prospect was untouchable Wednesday night, as he strengthened his case for a big-league promotion.

Ethan Diamandas

© Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Six innings of one-hit baseball is certainly one way to catch your general manager's attention. 

With Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins watching in the wings, Alek Manoah made it look easy on the mound. The 23-year-old dealt six scoreless innings on just 76 pitches, allowing only one hit, walking two and punching out five on route to his second Triple-A win.

Manoah – Toronto's third best pitching prospect – was in complete control the entire game and has yet to surrender a run in two Triple-A starts. The Buffalo Bisons – who are currently playing in Trenton, New Jersey, and wearing the Thunder uniforms – won the game 12-0 over the Rochester Red Wings. 

Atkins's presence at the ballpark is significant, as it indicates Manoah may be closer than anticipated to a major-league call-up. After tonight's masterful performance, the Blue Jays may be forced to finally give the kid a shot. 

Manoah told the media post-game that he spoke with Atkins on Tuesday and knew he would be at the park Wednesday night.

"He just told me to go out there, have fun, and keep doing what I'm doing," Manoah said.

Manoah worked with lightning efficiency in the first inning, needing just six pitches to retire the Rochester Red Wings in order. He threw a first pitch strike to all three hitters, getting a pop-up and two groundouts. 

The 6-foot-6 right-hander kept it rolling in the second, blowing three quick fastballs past former big-leaguer Yasmany Tomas and then snapped off a devastating slider to freeze Red Wings first basemen Raudy Read for his second strikeout of the inning. 

The third inning wasn't as easy. Manoah flew open a bit with his delivery as he walked a man and then hit a batter – his fourth hit batsman of the year – before inducing a timely 6-4-3 double play. 

Manoah broke out the slider to punch out two more batters in the fourth. Red Wings second basemen Jake Noll jumped out of the way, only to have Manoah's pitch break right down the middle for strike three. 

The Red Wings offense couldn't muster anything in the fifth, as Manoah went one-two-three once again.

After a lead-off double broke his no-hit bid in the sixth, Manoah shut down the Red Wings lineup again, giving up one walk, but placing another perfect front-door breaking ball for his fifth whiff of the game.

Bisons manager Casey Candaele was asked why Manoah didn't continue into the seventh inning.

"It's a process right now of getting him to be ready to go to the next level," Candaele said. 

"We're here to compete, and we're here to be successful at this level, and to teach the mindset of winning as well as development. But, you know, you do it in terms of what's best for the player and what's best for the organization."

After making an impressive jump from Low-A ball in 2019 to Triple-A this season, Manoah appears to have seamlessly adapted to high-level competition – a good sign, especially for Blue Jays fans clamoring for his promotion to the Blue Jays roster. 

Manoah, like fellow Jays pitching prospect Simeon Woods Richardson, was nearly unhittable against MLB hitters in spring training this year. Manoah pitched seven innings, giving up just one hit, walking none and striking out 15 batters, including a remarkable seven consecutive strikeouts against several of the Yankees starters. 

Toronto hasn't given a definitive timeline as to when we might see Manoah at the major league level, but with Nate Pearson's recent demotion and a slew of injuries to the pitching staff, Manoah looks ready to contribute at the big-league level as soon as possible. 

Further reading

- Ryu Dazzles as Blue Jays Beat Braves

- Vaccines Will be Offered at Blue Jay Games in Buffalo

- Simeon Woods Richardson with Nearly Flawless Start in Double-A

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Ethan Diamandas
ETHAN DIAMANDAS

Ethan Diamandas is a contributing writer who covers the Toronto Blue Jays for Sports Illustrated. He also writes for Yahoo Sports Canada and MLB.com. Follow Ethan on Twitter @EthanDiamandas

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