RADIO
Heading into the 2023 regular season, fantasy managers were salivating over the prospect of drafting Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah to lead their teams this year.
Fast forward three months and those same people are feeling not only frustrated but shocked that he has disappointed so much and so quickly. He is having a disastrous campaign to date, and there have been zero signs of improvement.
What's wrong with Manoah? Is he still worth starting, or even rostering? Let's take a look at the current situation and all of the reports to find the conclusion.
What's Wrong With Alek Manoah?
This has to be one of the most expeditious falls from stardom for any athlete in quite some time. Just last season, Manoah finished third in American League Cy Young voting after an outstanding 2022.
The 25-year-old pitched nearly 200 innings and compiled numbers worthy of a Cy Young winner. His final stat line read: 196.2 innings pitched, 16 wins, 180 strikeouts, a 2.24 ERA, and 0.99 WHIP. Calling that impressive would be a major understatement.
However, 2023 has been a complete turnaround for the 6' 6'' burly right-hander, and not in a positive direction. He has fallen flat on his face to this point, and unbelievably, was demoted to the minor leagues on Tuesday. Manoah has battled major control issues, struggling to a 6.36ERA, 1.90 WHIP, and an ugly 1-7 record.
Can Alek Manoah Still Help Your Fantasy Baseball Team In 2023?
Believe it or not, even humble baseball writers such as myself can fall victim to the numbers and even the eye test. How can fantasy managers have thought that Manoah would do anything besides have another stellar season in 2023 after he dominated the American League just a season ago?
The "ace" of the Blue Jays staff shockingly appeared on my league's waiver wire about seven weeks ago, and I also fell for the trap. I bid a hefty $156 from my FAAB on the right-hander, only to be outbid by another manager. I was frustrated at the time, but after his demotion to the minors this week, it's hard not to have a little smile when hearing the news.
But for those owners who still roster Manoah, what do you do? Do you hold onto him while he works on things in the minors, and hope and pray he figures it out and comes back as his old self, or do you rip the band-aid off and break up with him? This one is a very tough call. His numbers this year are downright calamitous, so unless you have an open IL spot, as hard as it will be, say your goodbyes and cut your losses on one of the more shocking and disappointing MLB stories of 2023.
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