Alek Manoah really means it when he says he's just staying in the moment.
The Toronto Blue Jays pitching prospect welcomed the Twitter frenzy that followed his triple-A debut on Thursday night, but he didn't let it add any pressure or expectation.
"Never think ahead, never think behind," said Manoah in an interview on Sportsnet 590 The Fan. "Just kind of try and stay in the moment. I think that's how I'm able to get through all the adversity that I've been through, some of the challenges that I've gone through. Just kind of try and stay where I'm at in the moment."
The 22-year-old right-hander threw six scoreless frames with 12 strikeouts with the Buffalo Bisons against the Worcester Red Sox, showing off his four-seam fastball while mixing in a changeup and slider. The performance immediately kicked off projections of when Blue Jays fans will get to see him in the big leagues.
"The heater was really good," said the six-foot-six Manoah about Thursday's outing. "I was able to throw the heater on both sides of the plate, and that kind of just opened up everything else. The slider was really good -- early in the count and late in the count. The changeup was pretty devastating, as well, to righties and to lefties, to get some ground balls."
Manoah is currently ranked sixth in the Blue Jays' prospect list. A West Virginia University product, he was drafted in the first round of the 2019 draft.
In his first outing above single-A, Manoah has witnessed the difference in the level of play each time he's taken a step up. Though he didn't issue a single walk on Thursday, he did hit three batters, which he says served as a wake-up call.
"(I need) advanced focus on every pitch," said Manoah. "And I learned that last night. Three hit-by-pitches, you kind of get into cruise control, and next thing you know one slips away. And it's like, 'hey, we gotta focus up.' A changeup stays over the plate, you give up a hit, you're like 'hey, we gotta focus up.' So, I think that's a nice step in my development, just continue to keep that laser focus before the mistakes happen to try and avoid them."
The discussion around Manoah doesn't revolve simply on when he'll be called up, but also in what capacity. The prospect is currently seen as a two-pitch righty, with a slider and the reliable four-seamer, which generated some talks about him as a good bullpen option.
But the Florida native disagrees.
"Two or three of my strikeouts last night were on the changeup," he said. "I think I was able to get about three or four ground-ball outs off the changeup as well. And they weren't just the lefties. ... So that pitch is right where it needs to be, man. The development is there, the confidence is there."
Manoah can also count on the occasional sinker in his arsenal.
"It's distinctive, the difference between my sinker and my four-seam. So, even though people want to ring it up as just one pitch, just one fastball, it definitely is a different feel for a hitter, having that ball running in on their hands and things like that.
"So, being able to mix that with the changeup, I think it's a pretty good mix I got going right now. Just gotta continue to develop it, focus, and throw it in the right spots at the right time."
The dude brings the and the energy!! Fun to watch brother! @Alek_Manoah47 https://t.co/vOFc0jtC5C
— Nate Pearson (@big_nate5) May 7, 2021
Widely regarded as an authentic guy, Manoah values the relationship he's built with other top prospects in the Blue Jays organization, like Nate Pearson and Simeon Woods Richardson.
He knows he's right where he needs to be, but Manoah also appreciates where he and his fellow prospects are going.
"We have a really great camaraderie. There's a lot of competitiveness that can turn into envy, but there's just a lot of genuine love between us. I just think we're all really close and we all know how special we can be once we get there."
