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The All Star game for Major League Baseball is right around the corner, which also means the season is reaching its halfway point.
Around this time of year, many of the best players in the game have separated themselves as far as contention for postseason awards go. One of those players this year is Alek Manoah.
The former Mountaineer has been nothing short of great for the Toronto Blue Jays. In his second season, he’s been able to catch the eye of the baseball community and is currently in the race for the American League Cy Young Award.
So far this year, he has a 9-3 record with an ERA (Earned Run Average) of 2.33 which ranks third in the American League.
When pitching, Manoah has kept his opponents to a .213 batting average and an OPS (On-base plus slugging) of .597. With 100.1 inning pitched he’s managed to have 90 strikeouts while walking 21 batters.
Manoah ranks third in wins in the American League with 9 and his 2.8 pitching WAR (Wins Above Replacement) also ranks third in the American League.
Manoah has been able to hold his ground in difficult situations. With runners on base, he has been able to keep his opponents to just a .192 batting average and an OPS of .253. With runners in scoring position, his opponents batting averages dip even more, with a .145 batting average and a OBP of .230.
When faced with the tough task of getting out of an inning with the possibility of giving up runs, Manoah has taken that challenge head on and has succeeded.
The American League Cy Young race is filled with excellent competition. Currently, MLB veteran Justin Verlander leads the pack with a 11-3 record and a 2.00 ERA over 103.1 innings pitched. Right behind Verlander is a good mix of new faces and well seasoned players such as Logan Gilbert, Martin Perez, and Shane McClanahan.
There is plenty of baseball left to be played which means there is time for Manoah to improve and make that one final push to be crowned the American League Cy Young award winner.
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